Battery storage land in the Town of DeWitt, New York

Use the current rule when assessing an offer

DeWitt’s June 29, 2026 battery article replaced the moratorium.

If a company sends you an older summary, ask for the rule it is using now and the town’s response to its proposed design. Keep the date and drawing together. A change in the local rules can alter an earlier proposal without making every parcel suitable.

Identify the actual reviewing authority from the parcel, rather than relying on a mailing address. Ask the team to confirm the applicable district and any later amendments before you spend money on a survey or give permission to file.

A public route for consideration is a starting point for review. The company still needs to show that its particular layout works and that it can secure the connection and other approvals. Ask which of those steps it has completed and which are only planned.

Reference: Town of DeWitt: current battery storage article, Local Law 5-2026 · Town of DeWitt: adopted laws awaiting codification

Ask which battery design the offer describes

Tier 2 covers behind-the-meter systems above 80 through 600 kWh. Tier 3 includes higher-capacity or mixed-technology enclosed systems and can be on either side of the meter. Tier 2 has an Industrial District accessory-use route; Tier 3 can be primary or accessory there, with specified approvals.

Ask for both the battery’s power rating and the amount of energy it stores. They describe different things. Have the team identify the equipment, intended use and local classification in writing so you are discussing one design rather than an interchangeable range of possibilities.

Will it serve an existing building, operate alongside solar or sell output through a separate connection? If the company promises bill savings or backup service to your property, request the design and written terms explaining that benefit.

Ask what would happen if the company later changed the equipment, storage duration or use. Would it need additional land, another review or your consent? Discuss revisions before signing documents that describe the project only as energy equipment.

Reference: Town of DeWitt: current battery storage article, Local Law 5-2026

Check the surroundings before choosing a lease area

For Tier 3, the article requires 1,000 feet from a dwelling or public-park lot or residential district boundary, measured from nearest lot lines, and 100 feet from state or federal wetlands.

Have the project team put the applicable lines on a drawing. Ask it to explain where each measurement begins and ends and which records establish the neighboring uses, district boundaries and wetlands. A distance measured only from the proposed containers may answer a different question.

Mark the land you want to keep using. Include building entrances, loading areas, shared roads, drainage and access to remaining acreage. Ask for the finished layout and a separate construction drawing; delivery and cable work may temporarily occupy land beyond the fence.

If an initial sketch cannot meet the requirements, ask what change the company proposes and whether it is supported by an actual decision. Compare the new boundaries and retained use before considering a larger reservation or a longer investigation period.

Reference: Town of DeWitt: current battery storage article, Local Law 5-2026

Set limits before anyone clears trees

The town’s adopted-laws register links Local Law 6-2026 on tree clearing. Its defined nonresidential category requires Planning Board site-plan approval and a development permit for covered clearing, with stated exclusions. Ask which provisions apply to the work proposed on your land.

Do not leave a site-visit authorization vague about cutting, clearing or ground disturbance. Agree on the activities allowed, the notice you receive and the areas visitors may enter. A company investigating a possible layout should explain any work it wants to perform before it arrives.

If clearing is proposed, request a marked drawing and the required permissions. Discuss who pays for the work and repairs any damage. Also ask what happens if the battery project is abandoned after the land has been disturbed.

Consider how retained trees serve your property now. They may screen a tenant’s yard, shade an occupied area or separate uses. Ask the team to show the effect of its proposal on the parts you retain and to explain any replacement or restoration commitments.

Reference: Town of DeWitt: Local Law 6-2026, tree clearing · Town of DeWitt: adopted laws awaiting codification

Review the removal funding alongside the lease

The battery article requires a town-held cash escrow for removal, with cost estimates revisited every five years, and a limited town-access agreement.

Ask to see the removal plan, estimate and funding documents before relying on a promise that equipment will be taken away. Who funds the account? How would you learn whether the balance is maintained? Ask your adviser how the public requirements and private agreement work together.

Describe the condition you expect when the land returns to you. Include roads, foundations, cables, drainage, fences and affected building features. Discuss how the documents address damaged equipment and cleanup as well as an orderly end to a working project.

Make sure the agreement identifies who is responsible if the company cannot perform. Ask what notices you receive, who can access the land for removal and how retained business operations would be protected while the work takes place.

Reference: Town of DeWitt: current battery storage article, Local Law 5-2026

Do not let a project handover leave responsibilities unclear

The article conditions a relevant ownership change on written assumption of approval duties and ZBA action, with notification and an application within 30 days.

Discuss a transfer with your adviser before agreeing to broad assignment rights. Ask how you will be notified, who must take over the lease duties and whether an earlier company remains responsible for any promises.

Keep an up-to-date contact for payments, maintenance and urgent problems. Ask who handles road upkeep and snow clearance, particularly where the entrance also serves your business or tenants. A change in project ownership should not leave you searching for someone who can act.

If you plan to sell or refinance your own property, ask how the agreement and public approvals would be handled. Identify the documents a buyer or lender would need and the responsibilities you would retain after the transaction.

Reference: Town of DeWitt: current battery storage article, Local Law 5-2026

Understand what the company has secured electrically

For a utility-connected proposal, the battery article calls for a signed interconnection agreement or utility letter of intent in the application.

Ask to see the actual document rather than a statement that the project is in a queue. Have the company explain what the document commits to, which studies or upgrades remain and who pays for the work. The existence of a local application requirement does not establish available capacity.

Put the cable route, entrance and any off-site rights next to the proposed lease area. If the company needs another owner’s consent, ask how that affects its schedule and the length of your reservation.

Set clear private milestones for payments, extensions and release of unused land. Discuss what happens if the connection becomes too costly or an approval changes the layout. Estimated construction dates should be explained through their assumptions rather than treated as a guarantee.

Reference: Town of DeWitt: current battery storage article, Local Law 5-2026

Ask Sunland about your DeWitt property

Start with your name, email and phone, then the property location. Onondaga County and New York are selected on this page and can be changed. Acreage and a parcel number are optional.

Tell us how the property is used, which area you might consider and what you need to keep available. Mention tenants, shared access, an existing offer or a deadline. You do not need a finished battery plan to begin.

Submitting the form starts a conversation. It does not reserve your land, grant entry or authorize a filing. Any potential project needs its own review of the property, current rules, connection and commercial terms.