Minimum setbacks jeopardize community Letter

Watertown Daily Times | Minimum setbacks jeopardize community
FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2009
I completely disagree with Supervisor Thomas Rienbeck's assessment that we are overregulating wind turbines in Cape Vincent, especially since the issue that prompted his remark is that of public safety.

We can place as many turbines as the wind developers want in this township and not worry about destroying scenic beauty or the potential harm to wildlife. We can place them as close to people's homes as the developers say is safe, and disregard the volumes of information that have been presented to the community warning of the hazards to our health from excessive noise, low-frequency sound and the shadow flicker effect, all caused by living too close to turbines of this size.

We can forego an unbiased, accurate determination of the ambient noise level to serve as a basis for siting these turbines, and learn to adjust our sleeping habits. We can ignore the legitimate concerns of a large segment of our community (local as well as seasonal) regarding the overall impact on the quality of life in Cape Vincent. We can do all this for the financial gain of the wind developers and some landowners, whereas the benefit to the community as whole remains undisclosed and therefore unknown and nonnegotiable.

What we cannot do is jeopardize the entire community as well as everyone who visits here by minimizing the setbacks from our public roads. There are documented reports that ice can build up on the turbine blades and be flung considerable distances. Mechanical failure can and has resulted in blade pieces being thrown as far as 400 meters. A turbine manufacturer recommends developer and maintenance personnel maintain a safe distance of 1,300 feet once the turbines are erected
In my opinion it is unreasonable and irresponsible for Supervisor Rienbeck and the zoning law review committee to recommend any less setback from all of our public roads. The notion that the users of secondary or seasonal roads warrant less protection from potential harm than those using main roads is an absurd idea.

I am discouraged that this review committee is resisting virtually every effort to significantly regulate the placement of wind turbines in Cape Vincent contrary to Mr. Rienbeck's claim. They consistently recommend the minimum restrictions preferring to create a compliance nightmare. I support the concept of wind energy in Cape Vincent, but not on this scale, and not at the expense of the quality of life of our citizens.

David LaMora