Polk Township had its second conditional use hearing for the proposed solar panel farm near the intersection of Bear Road and Long Mountain Road on Wednesday night.

Residents of Polk Township, and some from neighboring Chestnuthill Township, packed the Polk Township Volunteer Fire Company.

Polk Township supervisors, engineer, and Solicitor James Fareri - who led the hearing and shared the rules of the night - sat at a table to the left of the stage. Nate Fox, a partner at the Obermayer firm who is representing Effort Solar Inc., his colleagues and two subject matter experts, compensated for their testimonies, sat at the table to the right.

The hearing began with Fareri explaining how subject matter experts would be giving testimony under oath and then Polk Township supervisors and Fareri could ask questions, as well as about a dozen residents who were approved as parties in the hearing.

Rich Kirkland Jr., of Kirkland LLC, gave testimony and answered parties’ questions about house appraisal values near solar farms for about two hours of the three-hour hearing. He is a MAI-certified general appraiser.

He started this particular study a couple months ago, but it uses ongoing research and academic resources he’s been collecting for 20 years.

“We concluded that there will be no negative impact to house appraisal values here if the solar panel farm is built as proposed,” Kirkland said.

Township resident Douglas Swink asked Kirkland about noise from the substation’s fans running continuously. Kirkland said the substations and the panels do not produce any noise.

“I am not saying I’m against it or for it. I’m just looking for all the facts,” Swink told Kirkland.

Fareri asked if Kirkland had gone to the proposed property at any point during his study. Kirkland said he visited the site on Wednesday right before the hearing. He used Google Earth and Monroe County data before.

For the hearing’s remaining 30 minutes, Fox questioned Max Ojserkis, of Kimley-Horn, about his environmental impact study findings.

“We do not think this will impact surface water. The proposed site is located in the Pohopoco Watershed area, but the streams are not on that property,” Ojserkis said.

Residents expressed concerns about stormwater runoff and potential contamination to their well water. They were also concerned about the impact to wildlife on the Baumgartner farmland, where the solar farm is proposed to go.

“Kirkland did his job and presented “data” to compose his conclusion. He did not give any of us peace of mind that we won’t lose our house values in the end,” said Christy Goff, a Polk resident and party in the hearing.

“Also, none of those locations are like the Poconos,” Goff said. “The people who live here came or stayed for the quaint charm, love of outdoors, trees and nature. You cannot replace that with any kind of “natural” screen.”

Ojserkis’ testimony was cut short by the 9 p.m. curfew.

He will resume under oath at the third hearing, which will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Polk Township Volunteer Fire Company in Kresgeville.