| Technical Review Committee 64 Farnum Pike, Smithfield, RI 02917 2nd Floor Town Council Chambers |
APPROVED
Meeting Minutes, Thursday, December 18, 2025 - 12:30 PM
Committee Members Present:
| Gregory Guertin, Planning Director | Joshua Jelley, Town Engineer |
| Christopher Carcifero, Assistant Planning Director | Joe Potenza, Fire Department |
| Jacob Neves, Building/Zoning Official | Samuel Rivera, Assistant Town Engineer |
| Christopher Gentile, Deputy Zoning Official | Elizabeth Leach, Conservation Committee and Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Committee |
Project Representatives:
| Greg Lucini, Endurance Clean Energy, LLC | Megan Elwell, GZA Engineer |
| Joseph Carnevale, Attorney for Applicant | Edward Sumnerly, GZA Engineer |
| Mike Lucini, Endurance Clean Energy, LLC | |
Building/Zoning Official Neves made a motion, seconded by Town Engineer Jelley to approve the Technical Review Committee meeting minutes from November 19, 2025 as amended. The vote was six in favor and one abstention and the motion passed.
Official Potenza made a motion, seconded by Town Engineer Jelley to approve the Technical Review Committee meeting minutes from December 3, 2025. The vote was all in favor and the motion passed.
Major Land Development – Preliminary Plan
AP 50 / Lots 9, 9A, 10, 12, 29 &67 –Log Road /Tarklin Road
35 Acres (approx.) / Zone: R-200 / Proposed 1 Lot / Use Variance
Applicant/Owner: Endurance Clean Energy, LLC / Fishing Bear Properties LLC
Engineer: GZA Geo Environmental, Inc.
Introductions are made around the table.
Endurance Clean Energy shares that this solar development is located between Tarklin Road and Log Road, directly south of the current solar array. This solar plan is completely separate and unrelated to the solar project to the north.
The property is accessible through the current road that was installed for the EPA. There were some proposed changes to widen the egress and ingress coming off Log Road which have been accounted for.
The equipment pad location has been relocated from the south to roughly the northwest corner of the parcel.
There was a concrete pad that the EPA had installed for battery storage. This pad has been removed by Endurance Clean Energy and pending final survey results, that piece of the parcel has been removed.
There has been a minor realignment to the solar panels in order to accommodate the change in layout.
Regarding stormwater design, the design utilizes crushed stone trenches and grass channels and infiltration basins. Changes came about from the pre-application meeting with RIDEM. RIDEM’s directive is not to concentrate any infiltration towards the Superfund site because they are concerned that it might change groundwater flow.
Endurance Clean Energy met with RIDEM and EPA prior to pre-application meeting and took their feedback into consideration when developing their stormwater procedures. They have not yet received the Stormwater Permit from RIDEM.
With regards to the wetlands, the wetlands have been flagged and Endurance Clean Energy will stay away. They are not requesting any variances in relation to the wetlands.
Conservation Chair Leach asks since the EPA has provided feedback on the plan – must they also approve the plan?
Endurance Clean Energy shares that the EPA is providing feedback to RIDEM in relation to the Davis Superfund site - but an approval is not needed from a regulatory perspective. However, Endurance Clean Energy has sought a comfort letter.
Conservation Chair Leach asks if final remediation of the Davis Super Fund site has happened yet.
Endurance Clean Energy responds that the soil and tires have been remediated but the EPA is still working on remediating the groundwater.
Conservation Chair Leach understands that the EPA has a boundary around the superfund site as they remediate. Endurance Clean Energy states this is not entirely accurate, but they will work with the EPA as best as possible.
The EPA requires the road to be maintained for access purposes to the Superfund Site and need to be able to move west if needed to conduct test pits. The solar panels are removable to allow for testing.
Conservation Chair Leach mentions that EPA would be concerned about percolation of ground water. Do the solar panels eliminate or diminish the percolation of ground water? Endurance Clean Energy states that solar panels won’t create any extra moisture.
The EPA was onsite when Endurance Clean Energy dug test pits. No negative data was found during this testing.
The solar panels will be bound to the foundation with screws. The soil composition will determine how far down the screws will go.
Regarding the access road to the property, Endurance Clean Energy states that the EPA has maintained that road for many decades and will continue to maintain it. Endurance Clean Energy will make sure it’s plowed when needed.
Engineer Jelley asks for clarification on battery storage on site.
Endurance states that once the solar array is built, there is no maintenance required to the equipment. The only maintenance would be grass mowing of the lot only and brining in equipment to repair something as needed. No on-site storage is required.
Engineer Jelley asks if there is a plan for replacement or decommissioning of the solar panels. Endurance Clean Energy shares that the State sets the guidance and requirements regarding decommissioning of solar panels and they will comply with the guidelines. Engineer Jelley requests a written agreement that Endurance Clean Energy will comply with State regulations for decommissioning the solar plans to avoid any miscommunication in the future.
Engineering Jelley requests a full stormwater water report to be submitted that will be peer reviewed by a third-party. Endurance Clean Energy states that they have a stormwater report and contingency plan and it was submitted with their stormwater permit application with RIDEM. They have shared this with report with Director Guertin and he will share with the Technical Review Committee.
Endurance Clean Energy shares that this parcel is very flat which lends itself to a solar project. They feel that a solar project is the highest and best use of this parcel of land as it cannot be used for residential development due to proximity of the Davis Superfund Site.
Engineer Jelley states that this project must be presented to and approved by the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Committee because there is approximately 22 acres of land that will be cleared. Endurance Clean Energy agrees to comply.
Civil Engineer Rivera mentions that the site plan provided shows that proposed property line slightly crosses over the wetlands. He asks if Endurance Clean Energy will be asking for temporary or easement for the work. Endurance Clean Energy replies that it was not their intention to cross over the wetlands and this must be an error that will be corrected. They state there will be a standard seven-foot fence around the property as to comply with NESC (National Electrical Safety Code) requirements.
Director Guertin shares that the original plat and lot lines are not shown on the revised set of plans and it is difficult to follow the plans because of the way they are broken up across multiple pages. Endurance Clean Energy states the plans are split amongst multiple pages is due to RIDEM’s file size requirement. Endurance Clean Energy states that the revised plan got very busy making it more difficult to read, however Director Guertin would like the original plat lines on these plans.
Director Guertin asks for clarification on the length of the road going into the property off of Log - is this just an access road? Are there abutting properties that have access to this road? Endurance Clean Energy states that the landowner, Billy Davis Jr., is the only abutter with access to this road; he gave the EPA an easement which then allows Endurance Clean Energy access to the property via this road. Director Guertin requests Log Road labeled on the aerial plan on sheet 3.
Director Guertin also requests the width of the access road to be shown on the revised plans.
Building Inspector Neves asks for clarification on what, if any excavation work will be done on the land. Endurance Clean Energy replies that the site is flat and no cut and fill is needed, just basic grading. There is a three-to-five-foot change in elevation across the whole site, not a significant elevation change. Building Inspector Neves asks if the EPA has regulations requiring them to monitor the work happening on site. Endurance Clean Energy replies that the EPA does not have regulations regarding overseeing the work, they understand the scope and parameters of their jurisdiction, however Endurance Clean Energy is happy to accommodate EPA requests outside of their scope to the best of their ability.
Inspector Neves also asks in regards to the comfort letter, has the EPA reviewed the revised plans? Endurance Clean Energy replies they are in a bit of a position as the EPA wants to know how the Town feels about this project before making a decision, however the Town requests a comfort letter from the EPA before sharing their decision.
Endurance Clean Energy emphasizes that they need to start construction by Q2 to qualify for ITC (Investment Tax Credit) as part of the Big Beautiful Bill. They share that without the tax credit, the project cannot move forward. Foundation work must start by May to meet these requirements.
Endurance Clean Energy shares clarification on lot coverage numbers - lot coverage numbers were agreed upon by the Planning Board. The numbers are changing a little bit because they removed the battery storage area.
Building Inspector Neves - question about revised plans, existing access road, is that going to be maintained? Do the arrays run right over it. Endurance Clean Energy shares that it will not be maintained as a roadway. It will be gated by Billy Davis Jr and the road will not be used.
Conservation Chair Leach asks if the battery storage area will be added to the parcel at some point in the future. Endurance Clean Energy shares that if they do include battery storage, it will be a totally separate plan and will not be on this property. At the time of pre-application, there were many questions regarding battery storage that they could not answer, so they have scrapped the portion of the project until the State comes up with more regulation and guidance.
Endurance Clean Energy shared that it is imperative for this project to get through preliminary review in January. There was miscommunication on how to get preliminary approval, and now there is a time constraint due to the ITC tax credits.
6) Public Comment
There is no public comment.
7) Adjournment
Conservation Chair Leach made a motion, seconded by Building/Zoning Official Neves to adjourn the meeting. The vote on the motion was all in favor and the motion carried.
Meeting is adjourned at 1:36 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kristen Kube, Recording Secretary