NORTHFIELD — The public hearing on a second proposed BlueWave Solar project on Pine Meadow Road was continued again to Oct. 24, as the company continues to address the Planning Board’s questions.

BlueWave representatives appeared before the board for a third time Tuesday evening, as the public hearing process for an agrivoltaic array that would result in a 16-acre, fenced-in area containing 4,316 solar panels continued. In between each solar panel would be about 18 feet of space that would allow for the growing of organic vegetables, while the outside area of the array would allow for hay production.

The land is owned by residents Thomas and Patricia Shearer through an investment trust and BlueWave has a contract to purchase the land from them. Northfield-based Finicky Farm will handle the agricultural aspects of the project. BlueWave previously gained approval in 2021 to construct a three-array, 26,000-panel, 10.9-megawatt project on the same road.

Tuesday’s hearing focused on responses to questions posed at the Sept. 17 meeting, as well as how BlueWave plans to work with FirstLight Hydro Generating Co., which has flowage rights covering the majority of the project area.

“We have provided an update that we are still in discussions and collaboration with FirstLight,” said Project Director Michael Zhe. “FirstLight doesn’t object to the project.”

Just prior to the hearing, FirstLight issued a letter of filing consent for the project, which gave BlueWave permission to “apply for the necessary approvals and/or permits from the federal, state and municipal officials” needed for the project. However, the consent letter also reads that “all proposed activities and uses within the [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] project boundary are subject to final review by FirstLight and the issuance of a permit by FirstLight.”

Responding to questions posed in September, BlueWave representatives said they are committed to minimizing the amount of pole infrastructure needed to connect to the electrical grid by using a pad-mounted interconnected design. The equipment pad is located outside of FirstLight’s flowage rights boundary, although the vast majority of the array is within it.

The solar company also proposed creating a $20,000 fund to implement screening vegetation on the property.

Another major point of discussion by the Planning Board was the possibility of sharing a peer review of the application with the Conservation Commission, which has already hired someone to review the project. The project will come before the Conservation Commission again on Oct. 16.

“I do think it’s prudent for you to have that. … Floodplains and the like are very technical,” said Town Counsel Jeffrey Blake.

Planning Board Consultant Beth Greenblatt, principal of Beacon Integrated Solutions, concurred. “I do think it would be beneficial given the nature of this parcel.”

Zhe and other BlueWave team members said there would be “no issues” with the Conservation Commission sharing its peer review with the Planning Board. Planning Board and Conservation Commission member Victoria Luksha noted the peer-review analysis is not done yet and the commission is awaiting more testing from BlueWave.

“So far there hasn’t been an issue. I await the further information delivered by BlueWave,” Luksha said. “I don’t perceive there to be an issue.”

During the public comment portion of Tuesday’s hearing, several residents spoke against the solar array, including direct abutter John Buxton, who thanked the Planning Board for circling back to asking questions about the permit. At previous hearings, board members inquired about the agricultural nature of the project. However, this is a solar project application, not a farm application.

Buxton reiterated points he made at the Sept. 17 hearing, in which he said Pine Meadow Road is a residential/agricultural neighborhood and the project is outside the solar overlay district.

“The structures necessitate the farming, so it’s absolutely not first and foremost an agricultural project,” Buxton said. “It’s a standalone-energy-production facility in a floodplain.”

The hearing was continued to Thursday, Oct. 24, at 5:30 p.m. Planning Board members considered closing the public hearing Tuesday night, but opted to leave it open until at least the beginning of the Oct. 24 meeting.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.