Residents expressed vocal opposition Monday to a proposed solar array on a cranberry bog at 293 Flag Swamp Road, saying the project would harm the character of the neighborhood and raising questions about the agricultural aspects of the plan.

NextSun Energy LLC is seeking zoning exemptions to construct a ground solar array and energy storage facility at the 44-acre site, located on cranberry bog land. About 40 people attended the meeting, which was hosted by the state’s Department of Public Utilities, to seek public input on the proposal.

The solar array would consist of 16,770 370-watt solar modules mounted on around 4,200 piers in rows 21 feet apart and would sit ten feet above the bogs.

“I’m very troubled that our zoning is now in your hands, in all due respect,” said Gloria Bancroft of 748 Collins Corner Road.

“We have a beautiful community here and the reason we have a beautiful community here is because a lot of people put a lot of hard work into our zoning bylaws,” said Mary Leeson of 575 Barneys Joy Road. “Zoning exemptions are not going to get us where we want to go.”

The proposal falls under the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program, which supports solar production on active agricultural land.

But residents questioned whether the cranberry bogs where the array would be located are even productive.

The agriculture use is “a little bit of a smokescreen,” said Kevin Shea of 4 Running Deer Road. “This is an end-around of town zoning bylaws,” which he said sets a “very dangerous precedent.”

“It’s not an active bog,” said Kenneth Loranger of 400 Flag Swamp Road. He said he has seen a six-foot tree growing out of the bog.

“It’s going to take almost an act of God for those bogs to produce cranberries,” said James Phillips of 279 Flag Swamp Road, who has lived there for 45 years. His grandfather built those bogs, he added.

Adam Schumaker, Vice President of Development for NextSun, said that he has worked in conjunction with UMass cranberry researchers who told him the crop was “viable”.  

“We’re confident the project does meet those standards,” he noted.

Phillips said that the project will “drastically change this quiet, residential neighborhood,” noting that the construction work will take at least 4-6 months with heavy equipment impacting the neighborhood. 

The quality of Flag Swamp Road is already poor, said Catherine Michael of 3 Red Maple Run, and would be worsened by construction equipment. “The road is barely suitable for my Hyundai,” she said.

According to Ron Rioux of 266 Flag Swamp Road, the proposal is “just not something, in my opinion, that you would even consider in a residential area.”

“It doesn’t belong in this area,” he added.

The solar array would also include tracking equipment, two inverters, and a transformer. The 24 megawatt-hour storage facility will consist of battery modules, six enclosures to house the batteries, converters, and related equipment.

Schumaker said NextSun would consider planting vegetation to screen the views of the solar panels and could help improve the conditions of Flag Swamp Road to make the project more palatable to neighbors.