Still pending: Big plan to turn former Tee-Bird into luxury RV park, solar farm

By Zander Frost, Chronicle Staff Writer

Latham-based U.S. Light Energy has ambitious hopes for the long vacant, 203-acre Tee-Bird Country Club in Moreau.

COO Michael Fingar told The Chronicle the project would encompass:

• A “conservation area and walking trail in the rear of the property.”
• “A luxury motor coach and cabin resort in the front of the property, and
• Two five-megawatt community solar projects “in the back of the property, kind of the western side, adjacent to existing transmission lines.”

The former golf course is located at 65 Reynolds Rd. and 83 Fort Edward Rd.

“Overall, the grand scheme of things of the entire project…it’s quite large,” Mr. Fingar said.

The solar portion is “on the larger end of what the community solar program allows…I would say that’s right in line with the projects we typically install.”

“But in the grand scheme of things, it’s obviously a much larger development,” he said. “We have a 200-acre parcel here with these other commercial uses and recreational uses which we’re really excited about.”

“I think that it’s a good use for that property. It solves a lot of concerns we typically get, like visual impact with the solar array,” he added.

“This particular development allows us to push the solar to the back of the property, put the frontage of the property that’s more visible to the road to use in something that’s really in line with the town’s comprehensive plan.”

Mr. Fingar said U.S. Light Energy would find a separate operator for the RV park.

The proposal in front of the Planning Board has “146 Class A Motorcoach Pad Sites” at around 3,200 sq. feet each, plus “26 Luxury Cabin Sites,” “3 Multi-Use Athletic Courts including Pickleball, Basketball, and Tennis, plus a “Clubhouse with shared amenities, including kitchen, meeting space, screening room…”

Moreau Supervisor Todd Kusnierz said the combined format of the project is necessary under Town law. He said Moreau “is not zoned for commercial electric generating facilities, i.e. solar fields, outside the Industrial Park.”

In order for the solar to be considered, “it has to be part of another project…you have to show a public benefit,” he added.

Under Moreau law, the solar farms don’t count as a public benefit, but the high-end RV park “would be a huge benefit for the town,” Mr. Kusnierz said.

“Unlike your typical RV park, many times the lots are sold to the RVers, and they own it, and they pay taxes on that, whether they’re in town or not,” he said.

He said the clientele have “pretty good money” and “they buy lots in these different locations across the U.S. and travel during different times of the year.”

U.S. Light Energy claims “$22,650,873 is the potential contribution to the local economy the Resort could make in its first year of operation.

Pending approvals, Mr. Fingar said he hopes work could start “as soon as next year potentially.”

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