The conditional use hearing for the proposed solar farm in Effort was continued Tuesday night.

Attorney Michael Gazza went before the Chestnuthill Township supervisors and asked for a continuance saying that he had been retained late last week and needed time to prepare.

Gazza also asked that the plans be reviewed by the township’s Planning Commission and engineer, and then brought before the supervisors.

“Let’s give your Planning Commission an opportunity to a full review of this. Let’s give your township engineer a full opportunity to review, and for my client to respond to your engineer’s report of his comments,” Gazza said. “We’d like to be able to come to your board with a clean review from your engineer.”

The proposed solar farm would be located on a 15-acre parcel of a larger 126.59-acre property owned by Connie Merwine along Merwinsburg Road in Effort. Merwine and Effort Energy Initiative LLC want to place a 3MW Community Solar project on the acreage.

A topographic map in the plans for the solar farm shows that the majority of the 126-acre property is forested with about half of it lying along hillsides and steep slopes. The acreage for the solar farm is located in a flatter section of the property. An already established easement off Pheasant Run Road would provide access to the solar farm.

On Oct. 17, the supervisors passed a new ordinance restricting where solar farms would be allowed in the municipality. The new ordinance allows for them to be placed only in light commercial areas in an effort to preserve farmland.

The plans submitted by Merwine and Effort Energy Initiative for the solar farm were given to the township before the ordinance and a presentation was made to the Planning Commission in September.

The hearing was continued to Jan. 9 at 6 p.m.