A proposed solar park expansion project in the borough of Nesquehoning still needs to work out a few more details.

On Tuesday, the Carbon County Planning Commission again recommended conditional plan rejection for phase two of a solar park within the borough limits, located along Fourth Hollow Road, on land leased from Boca Holdings, as well as a small portion of land owned by the Kovatch family, behind the Hauto Valley Estates. The first time the plan came before the commission was Nov. 18.Ivan O. Meixell, county planner, reviewed his findings with the board and David G. Lear, senior project manager for Lehigh Engineering Associates Inc. of Walnutport, who provided explanations and clarifications to questions that arose.The proposed PA Solar Park phase II, which is being created by Con Edison Development, would complete the 20-megawatt park, Lear said. No details on the number of panels or the cost of the project have been released by the company to date.The previously completed phase of the solar park, which was constructed by Green Energy Capital Partners of Conshohocken and operated by Con Edison Development Inc., sits on land leased by the Kovatch family and contains 39,600 panels that generate 10 megawatts of electricity. The electricity generated is then sold to PPL Electric.Issues include: a special use permit needed from Nesquehoning's Zoning Hearing board, discrepancies in calculations and drawings, more information needed on the proposed underground electric transmission lines and the financial securities for the project.Meixell said the company should consider relocating a portion of a solar panel array east of Third Hollow Run because it sits between the boundary line of the Boca and Kovatch properties.He urged the board to recommend conditional plan rejection until these issues are addressed.Lear said the company is waiting on the Nesquehoning Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board, who both tabled the project to allow for time to look at the details.The borough planning commission and zoning hearing board are expected to meet in early February to discuss the project.Meixell asked Lear about the lack of a visitors center at the site, which was proposed in phase I. Lear said the location of the visitors center is going to be the staging area for phase II construction.He added that everything in phase I that has not yet been done will be completed by the conclusion of phase II.The timeline for the solar park, if everything receives approval from all necessary boards, was discussed in December by Lear when he went before the borough planning commission.Once ground is broken, which Con Edison hopes to do by early April, the project should take just under one year to complete.In other matters, the county planning commission recommended conditional plan rejection of two other proposed subdivisions in Carbon County.• Susan K. Dorward submitted a revised subdivision plan at 780 Rock St., Franklin Township. The plan calls for subdividing Dorward's 51.218-acre lot into three lots and one 0.973-acre parcel. The parcel would then be combined with a 15.804-acre lot, owned by Donald H. Dorward Sr. to create a fourth lot.Meixell outlined a number of issues that existed before the plan conforms to final plan requirements of the Franklin Township Land Development Ordinances and said the problems must be addressed and adequately mitigated before approval could be given by the commission.• Robert A. Jr. and Jean Ann Smith, with James S. Smith as power of attorney, proposed a subdivision at 164 N. Lake Drive, Kidder Township. The plans called for subdividing the land into two lots.Meixell said that the plan has areas of noncompliance with the Kidder Township Land Development Ordinance at this time.The planning commission also appointed board member George Karas to the commission's secretary position. The position was previously held by Ted Nagle of Weatherly, who retired late last year.