Solar Panels Driving Lively Debate in Scenic Town and Village of Warwick, N.Y.

They appeared about two months ago along the rural road: an eyesore to some, a welcome sign of the future to others.

At issue: two dark, trailer-sized arrays of solar panels set on metal posts along Route 94, the gateway to the Village of Warwick.

Jim and Betty Goodline sat inside Salvato's Deli, about an eighth of a mile down the road from the two solar panel arrays, and discussed the aesthetics.

He described them as "neat";

She used the word "cute."

Did they think policymakers should allow solar panels to be installed anywhere people pleased?

"If it's going to save someone money on their energy bills, the more power to them," Jim said.

Warwick Supervisor Mike Sweeton said there has been more curiosity than controversy about the two solar arrays.

But in an Orange County town touted for leading the county in green energy and sustainability, the solar panels have got a lot of people talking.

According to town officials, the panels and the 200 acres they are located on belong to an elderly woman who bought the land a few months ago with her husband to build a dream home. The husband died, and the widow downsized the construction plans, opting for a smaller house, close to the road and powered by solar. She could not be reached for comment.

Deadlines — possibly for a state grant that helped finance the arrays — required the panels be built first.

The town, which has no ordinance regulating solar or wind turbine installations, allowed it. It would have done the same for a garage or similar structure.

So, the mystery of the two solar arrays was solved. But the debate they fanned about the future of green energy regulations continues.

The actual discussion began last month, when complaints about solar panels on historic homes in downtown Warwick prompted village officials to consider guidelines for their installation. Village trustees said they would likely begin talking about the issue next month.

Then appeared the solar panels on Route 94.

Part of the concern is that they lie within a protected view shed. As such, they will have to be blocked from view, as a condition of the building permit on the house when it is built, Sweeton said.

"They're a horror," said Barbara White, co-owner of the Raynor Country real estate agency downtown. "It's a beautiful, scenic road, and then suddenly to see that!"

White's office colleague, Jeannette Wheeler, had a different view.

"I think they're great," she said. "When I look at them, it cheers me to know that someone is going to save money on their electricity bills and have more control over their lives."

SOURCE: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120130/NEWS/201300325