NORTH ADAMS— A Denver-based energy company has more questions to answer before it can get city permission to build a 25-acre solar energy farm.

The Planning Board delayed a vote Monday night after hearing an updated plan from Ryan McQuigg, Bear Peak Power director of development. Board members said they still need more information about environmental conditions, site cleanup, and site access before deciding whether to issue a permit.

Also, the Conservation Commission had similar questions and has not approved the permit. The commission will meet next week and consider it again. Planning Board approval is contingent upon that decision.

The ground-mount solar farm would be built on a property owned by local business owner Phillip Apkin. It was a scrapyard from 1972 until 2022. Bear Peak does not yet own the property but plans to buy it once it receives the permit. The property is next to the Sons of Italy building on Christopher Columbus Drive.

McQuigg estimated the total price tag for the project was about $5 million — roughly over $1 million in environmental work followed by an additional $4 million of construction costs.

He called the cost estimate preliminary. "Keep in mind, we are actively updating these costs based on recent updates to the design following recent comments from the city and ongoing coordination with various entities,” he said.

McQuigg said Bear Peak was founded in 2021 by developers from larger firms and has 118 varying-sized solar projects across nine states in "varying stages of development." This project would generate 1.25 megawatts AC — enough to power about 175 single-family homes in the area. Construction would create about 48 full-time jobs, with four or five permanent positions for operations and maintenance once complete.

Since the last meeting, McQuigg noted tweaks that Bear Peak made to the plan in response to questions from the board and commission.

Changes included moving the project farther from the Hoosic River, adding more mitigation and re-stabilization to the cleanup plan, although the company has not provided details on that. They also removed part of the proposed site that ended up being land owned by the Redevelopment Authority.

McQuigg also proposed accessing the site via a bridge currently unusable for vehicle traffic.

When asked what the plans are to fix this, McQuigg did not know whether Bear Peak would pay for bridge repairs or explore another way to access the site.

The board also wondered how much Bear Peak will invest to clean up hazardous materials in and around the scrapyard before the build.

A 2021 fire at George Apkin & Sons was so extensive that fire crews were called in from as far away as Pittsfield and Orange. The city sent the business an invoice for $83,791 but said the company has not paid.

Debris and hazardous materials built up after neglect and the fire at the scrapyard, members said. Part of the plan McQuigg presented no clear plan for how much of the area Bear Peak would clean up and how, although he did estimate Bear Peak intended to spend about $1 million on cleanup.

If approved, McQuigg estimated construction would start in August 2026 and be complete about a year later.

The project will last 24 years, as that is standard life cycle of solar panel projects, per Bear Peak securing a decommissioning bond. Decommissioning bonds are used for renewable energy projects and ensure developers dismantle and restore the land to its original condition after the project's lifecycle ends.

Someone would visit the site about four times per year to check on the site post-construction and provide maintenance, said McQuigg. Otherwise, the site would be monitored remotely using video. If something does happen, Bear Peak's operations team could be at the site within a day to perform repairs or work, he said.

"But we pride ourselves on getting it done faster than that," said McQuigg.

If there is an emergency situation, McQuigg said, Bear Peak would work with local emergency services.

When asked why Bear Peak selected the site for the project, McQuigg cited the site's viability for "interconnection," or the ability to discharge power onto the distribution grid "which is a complex problem to solve."

He also cited proximity to residences, natural barriers that would help shield the solar farm from view, and working with the local community.

"It is our opinion that the significant investment of environmental remediation and general passive nature of the project will result in a large community benefit," said McQuigg. "We recognize we are not North Adams locals but as a future part of the community, we want to be a great neighbor."

A couple residents at the meeting warned McQuigg about developing on the dilapidated property, saying they hoped Bear Peak Power knew what it was taking on.

"It is not something we're taking lightly," McQuigg. "Its going to be very complicated...there's lots of fun problems to solve with this one."

McQuigg said the Bear Peak is working on another ground-mount project in Sturbridge that is currently in the construction phase, and it also has multiple rooftop projects in the works.

Alternative energy company Syncarpha Capital opened a solar farm on E Street on a repurposed landfill in 2015. On Syncarpha’s website, it says that the farm’s energy output is enough to offset “100% percent of its electricity needs with solar power” including two smaller installations in North Brookfield and Westminster.