Edsall ~Turbines can be designated as utilities ~

Early August 2006

Edsall begins expressing public opinions that a wind law may not be necessary because turbines can be designated utilities under the current zoning law. The current zoning law has no provisions or codes for wind energy development and is completely inadequate to address this type of industrial development. The actions of Cape Vincent municipal officials are contrary to normal accepted practice at the time, since other towns around CV and New York facing wind development declared wind moratoriums and developed specific wind zoning amendments. We believe that Cape Vincent’s position to avoid a wind law is due the numerous officers’ conflicts of interest, and to expedite the process in favor of the wind developers.[Note: At the April 2009 meeting of the Cape Vincent Town Board, Councilman Joe Wood indicates that the TB cannot adopt a law fearing this action will initiate a lawsuit by WPEG. This admission in 2009 suggests the issue of their conflicts may have played a role in the decision to kill amending the zoning law in 2006. We could conclude that the CV TB shirked its legislative responsibility to adopt a zoning amendment for the biggest commercial development project in the Town’s history in order to avoid lawsuits.]