The Logan Township supervisors Thursday approved a land development plan for a solar farm on a hillside between Old Sixth Avenue Road, Greenwood Road and East Hamilton Lane.

The vote sets to rest concerns that led 20 East Hamilton Lane residents to crowd a meeting in September in opposition to the second of three proposed main entrances to the solar array.

The newly approved plan includes a third, non-controversial main entrance off Burgmeier Drive next to the Sheetz at the foot of the North Eighth Street bridge — a route only slightly different than the main entrance proposed for the first plan that was nevertheless rejected by First Energy, because it would have involved digging closer than regulations permit to poles that carry a First Energy powerline.

The third main entrance proposal — and the first successful one — was initially rejected by solar developers SR1 Capture Sage Holdco and Penn Renewables because it cuts away from the main landowner’s property across a corner of a neighboring tract owned by Ward Trucking, according to Penn Renewables co-founder Eric Sieckmann and project engineer Emily Zapinski of SWC Environmental Consultants of Bridgeville.

Faced with the intractability of the utility prohibition connected with the first proposal and the united opposition of the neighbors against the second proposal, the developers broached the idea of cutting across the Ward ground to that company and found the firm receptive to a deal, according to Sieckmann and Zapinski, who presented the revised plan this week to the township Planning Commission, which recommended that the supervisors approve it.

Like the initially proposed route, the newly approved route starts at the end of Burgmeier Drive near the Sheetz.

But whereas the first route would have required grading as it crossed under the power line, the second does not require grading where it crosses under, Sieckmann said.

The secondary, emergency entrance to the solar farm will be off East Hamilton Lane — in the same place that proved to be controversial as a primary entrance.

It contains a steep portion, but shouldn’t be a problem for ATVs or fire company brush trucks, according to Sieckmann.

The company will look to be sure, Sieckmann told the single neighbor who came to the Planning Commission meeting, after that neighbor suggested a closer inspection of the proposed secondary route to ensure it would be passable.

Residents’ main concern with that East Hamilton route when it was proposed as the primary entrance was for the period during which solar farm construction would take place.

Once the farm is constructed, there would be only a handful of annual inspection and maintenance visits to the site, according to Sieckmann.

Because of First Energy restrictions, the solar developers won’t be able to build a cul-de-sac at the end of Burgmeier Drive, Sieckmann and Zapinski said.

They will, however, follow through on plans to provide decorative landscaping at the beginning of the entrance lane back to the solar farm, at the end of Burgmeier Drive.

It will be arranged in the form of a semicircle, as shown on the land development plan presented to the Planning Commission.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.