Audrey Matott is reporting for the Greenville Pioneer Greenville town officials have denied the hardship application submitted by Cypress Creek Renewables for the company's proposed 2-megawatt, solar project to be located on State Route 32 in Freehold. Cypress Creek submitted the application in May following the town's adoption of a six-month commercial solar moratorium. Under the moratorium, if a property owner is able to prove an extreme financial hardship as a result of the ban, the town has the power to grant an exception. In its unanimous decision, the Greenville Town Board rejected Cypress Creek's request, finding the company did not carry the burden of proof that an extreme hardship did indeed exist. According to the board's resolution, the funds expended by Cypress Creek for the proposal were only potentially lost at this point and not necessarily as a result of the moratorium; that such costs of doing business are expected in any development process whether formally approved or not. And the board found that the Central Hudson interconnection fees paid by Cypress Creek were not a substantiated loss as a result of the moratorium. Rather the funds are contingent on whether the project is ultimately approved or not and there has been so far no guarantee the proposed site plan would be approved. The board also stated the potential Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement remains under review and has not been finalized. “Indeed, it is possible that no such agreement will be reached, thereby effectively ending the project,” the resolution stated. Read the full story in the Greenville Pioneer.