Two meetings and an update

The Alcohol Beverage Board met on Tuesday morning to consider the beer-wine license for Fenwick Farms Brewing. The license would allow Fenwick Farms Brewing to serve wine and cider to customers in addition to beer. It would not allow them to sell wine and cider for carry-out. This permit was supposed to be on the agenda last month but a problem with paper work delayed it. The Board approved the license, which now must also receive state approval. Fenwick Farms should be able to serve wine and cider before the end of the month, and maybe even by their ribbon cutting on September 26.

The other item on the agenda was Wheatfield Lanes. The bowling alley has changed ownership and when there is a change in ownership, the license must go through the permitting process. The Board approved the application.

In the evening the Rensselaer Board of Zoning Appeals met and the main item on the agenda was a conditional use permit to allow IMPA to construct a 4.13 megawatt solar farm on the north side of town. This facility will be about four times the size of the present solar farm on the northeast edge or Rensselaer. It will be located on 26.4 acres south of the Madison subdivision and east of the Rensselaer Primary School.

 Below is a plan showing how the rows of panels will be arranged. These panel will track east to west to follow the sun allowing them to generate a bit more power in the early morning and late afternoon.

 IMPA currently has 24 megawatts of solar panels installed and is constructing another 12.3 megawatts this year. They hope to do another 12 megawatts next year and the Rensselaer facility will be part of that. By way of contrast, the Rensselaer power plant across from the library that is used for peak generation can generate 14 megawatts.

The application was approved by the BZA.

The sale continues at SJC. I noticed athletic equipment last week and it is still there.

There are still plenty of chairs and some of them, those with the yellow caution tape in the picture below, have sold.  New this week are the contents of the art studio.

It appears that some of what is on the tables are unfinished student works.

 Two kilns are available if you have plans to start a pottery workshop.

 Also new this week are thousands of vinyl records. Perhaps they came from the radio station or perhaps from the library.

More records

On Wednesday we are getting some light rain. I think it is from what is left of what was Hurricane Irma.

Demolition of the Washington Street bridge has begun. A worker with a jackhammer was breaking up the north approach on Wednesday morning.