Mount Kisco Eyeing Possible Extension for BESS Moratorium
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Mount Kisco Mayor Michael Cindrich said last week that he expects the village to extend the six-month moratorium on battery energy storage systems (BESS) as efforts to revise the municipality’s zoning code to regulate the facilities continue.
Cindrich made his comment during last week’s Village Board meeting when he was providing the public with an update on a recent Westchester County forum regarding BESS attended by multiple Mount Kisco officials.
“I think we all came away with an appreciation, I for one, an appreciation, and now the county is taking this battery energy storage system seriously because of all the moratoriums that started with the Village of Mount Kisco,” Cindrich said. “I see us having an extension on the moratorium, and maybe even (another) extension because of how serious this is.”
The mayor said the village plans on taking its time to do its research because of the deep concern expressed by emergency services personnel and residents.
Cindrich mentioned that while the forum focused on the fire and public safety aspect of the issue, there wasn’t any discussion on zoning-related matters and how municipalities might handle that challenge, including areas in the village that might be able to accommodate a BESS.
Mount Kisco initially approved its moratorium in August, but it did not take effect until September because of a noticing mistake related to the public hearing. It has appointed a committee to help officials examine the issue.
Communities that have had applications submitted for a BESS have voiced deep concerns about fires, which have ignited at systems across the United States. In recent discussions in some towns, representatives of companies that have proposed a BESS have argued that the technology continues to improve, diminishing the likelihood of a fire.
The issue also came to light earlier in July when the Town of Carmel in Putnam County approved a moratorium following an uproar over a large system planned for a Mahopac property near the Somers border close to a residential neighborhood.
Cindrich also asked residents that have a small-scale BESS that’s part of a home’s solar installation to contact the Building Department for a free inspection and to educate themselves on any updated codes.
“This is serious stuff with the possibility of a failure, and this is something you want to make sure you have the fire separation between your home, your living space and where the batteries are located,” Cindrich said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/