Cape Residents Back Proposed Wind Projects

Published: March 26, 2006

CAPE VINCENT RESIDENTS BACK PROPOSED WIND PROJECTS

By Kate DeForest Times Staff Writer

CAPE VINCENT -- Cape Vincent residents overwhelmingly supported the development of wind power facilities in the area at a town meeting Saturday that drew about 250 people to the fire hall.

About 80 percent of the people at the meeting indicated they support the development of wind farms in the area, with a handful opposing the projects.

However, most remained divided over how to regulate the facilities.

The town has been wrestling with developing new zoning regulations in response to 400-foot turbines expected to be installed by two companies - Wind Power New York, Rochester, and Greenlight Energy Inc., Charlottesville, Va. - in two separate developments, one inland and one near the St. Lawrence River.

The companies already have been approaching area landowners with developmental lease agreements in anticipation of constructing 110 to 135 two-megawatt turbines: Wind Power New York is seeking to install 60 turbines between the shoreline and Route 4, and Greenlight Energy proposes to build 50 to 75 turbines south of Route 4, from Route 12E to Route 9.

Saturday's meeting, moderated by Richard L. Halpin, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, was held primarily to provide residents with more information on the projects and solicit feedback on various zoning proposals, including the contentious issue of setback distances.

Residents were divided over how far the power-generating turbines should be set back from the shoreline, citing multiple concerns from the aesthetic effect of the turbines on the landscape to the disruption of local wildlife and migratory birds.

The most recent draft of the proposed wind farm zoning law includes setback regulations of:

* One and a half times the height of the tower, including the radius of the blade, from the exterior property lines, or a minimum of 500 feet.

* A minimum of 10 feet from an interior property line when the wind farm consists of multiple parcels, 1,000 feet from existing homes not on a parcel that is part of the wind farm and 750 feet from existing homes that are part of the wind farm.

It does not include setback regulations from the shoreline, which town officials have held off on determining until they could better gauge residents' responses to the turbines' placement.

There seemed to be no consensus reached on an ideal shoreline setback among those attending Saturday's meeting. Town officials stressed that they have to have something in place before the wind power companies advance the projects much further.

"We need some real help with this law," town Planning Board Chairman Richard J. Edsall said. "If we don't pass a law one way or another, they're still coming. People have already signed contracts."

"If we don't have our laws in place, if there's no zoning against them, they can put them anywhere they want," town Deputy Supervisor Joseph H. Wood said.

While some favored setbacks of more than a mile from the shoreline, which would likely nullify the Wind Power New York project, putting it out of range of the most propitious wind patterns, others said setbacks of 1,500 to 1,900 feet from the shoreline would be adequate.

"My only concern is that if they have setbacks of more than 1,500 feet, it'll defeat the purpose of the project," said Paul C. Mason, a Cape Vincent landowner and dairy farmer.

Mr. Mason, whose property on Route 12E abuts the waterfront, said he has been approached by one of the wind farm companies and intends to sign with it.

Another property owner, Hester M. Chase, who lives in the area proposed for inland wind farm development, said zoning is a minor issue compared with handing control of the area's potential wind power development over to corporations instead of keeping it under the auspices of the municipality.

"If we were doing this as a municipality, we would have more control, and then we could take care of the zoning," Ms. Chase said. "Should we be talking about zoning? Should we be fighting it out? Yeah, we should, but I feel we could make everyone happy if we were doing it ourselves."

Town officials hope to hold a public hearing on the proposed zoning laws May 4, bringing them to a vote at the Town Council meeting June 8. Town officials do not plan to bring the laws to a public referendum.

"It's a Planning Board and Town Council decision," Mr. Wood said.

Meanwhile, town officials said they'll continue to solicit feedback from town residents, in person and in writing.