TOWN OF CLAY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — You ask, we answer!

The most commonly asked question sent to the Your Stories Team over the past two months is about a construction site in Clay.

What’s being built on Waterhouse Road?

Several viewers wanted to know if the project is related to Micron.

It’s not.

A 10-megawatt Solar Farm is being built on Waterhouse Road near the intersection of Morgan Road.

According to the site survey, the solar farm will be fenced in on 35 acres of land.

Clay’s Planning Commissioner, Mark Territo, said the project was approved by the town planning board on May 20, 2020. Borrego Solar Systems is the applicant listed on the planning board documents.

Territo said this will be the third solar farm in Clay. The other two arrays are located on Verplank Road.

The Waterhouse location does come with controversy. It’s being built next to a daycare.

Mike and Cindy Fowler are the owners of True North Center for Children, located near the intersection of Waterhouse and Morgan Roads.

The Fowlers said they have concerns about the solar farm being built so close to its facility. One of those concerns deals with how emergency services would be handled in the event of a fire.

In July, NewsChannel 9 reported on a battery fire at a solar farm in the Town of Lyme in Jefferson County.

In June of 2022, the Clay Fire Department posted on its Facebook page that it responded to a small fire at the solar panel farm on Verplank Road.

The Fowlers said they’ve asked for a meeting with Town of Clay officials where parents who use their daycare, and nearby residents could have their questions answered regarding any concerns they may have.

So far, we do not have anything scheduled for a town meeting as this development has already been approved and is under construction. Questions are being accepted and we forward them to the experts to provide any answers/updates as the questions being asked now are beyond ‘planning & development’ issues,” Territo said in an email to the Your Stories Team.

Town of Clay Supervisor Damian Ulatowski, told the Your Stories Team that he was in the process of getting answers to some of the questions being asked by the Fowlers, particularly when it comes to emergency response services. Ulatowski said he’s been in contact with the contractor at the site.

Photos of the site can be seen below:

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