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Wind Power Generation in Denning?

http://civilwarbummer.com/new-york-patriot-or-feminist… Going door-to-door along Mountain Lane yesterday I was asked what my opinion was about “the big wind turbine,” and I had to confess that I had no opinion about it, because I had never heard of it before. (It felt like a bit of a political defeat, to be going door-to-door and get asked about a town issue you’ve never heard of). But I felt a bit better later when speaking with Julyan and Tiffany Gillman, who have been working to put together a petition challenging the building of a wind turbine in their neighborhood: apparently they themselves just heard about it last week. Even people who live right down the block from the project had not been told about it.

The building of such a structure – 178 feet tall – is against current zoning laws and would require a variance. It seems obvious to me that zoning laws should be kept in place for everyone – the rules have to be the same for all – unless there is a compelling public benefit, and general consent of the people of the town. I will say that it may well be the case that wind power may be a compelling public benefit: if we here in Denning are going to consume power we should feel at least some responsibility to be part of its production as well. But the principle still applies: zoning variances should be given only in extraordinary circumstances and with broad-based support.

The Gillmans were upset, understandably, about how much they feared their lives were about to be changed by the wind turbine, but also by their sense that procedurally the town did not work: 1) that people in the immediate area were not directly informed of the project 2) that there was not enough time to gather information or organize support/opposition for the project (the final decision is to be made soon, I believe on Wednesday the 13th) 3) that public input, even from people most affected by the decisions of town officials, was neither desired nor respected by said officials 4) that the decision to establish what is in effect a small power plant in town contra the general zoning laws was not really a broad-based town decision but was made by a tiny group of people who the Gillmans felt were not sufficiently answerable to constituents.

The Gillmans expressed worries about the effect of the turbine on 1) their peace and quiet at home 2) their property values (they made the credible claim that property values near the turbine may decline by as much as 60%) 3) their own health, as the health effects are not well known. Needless to say, they feel they didn’t move here to have to deal with this kind of problem. They felt that this project (to quote a letter they have drafted) was out of keeping with “the history and present character of our community, which draws residents who give up the comforts of more populous areas in favor of the pristine and quiet way of life that are Denning’s major assets and draws.” Taking a look at the orchard they had planted, the home they had built, and all the cider they were bottling, I could understand why they were so upset. They were building a home in the mountains and much of what they had built seemed imperilled now.

“The Seriously Concerned Citizens of Denning” attacked me earlier for my claim that communication in the town needed to be improved. Here is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. Even if no official policy changed, it would probably be enough to make a few phone calls to people who lived in the immediate vicinity of a turbine like this – merely as a neighborly thing to do – and honestly solicit input. If you knew something was happening that was going to affect one of your neighbors, you would let him know, not because there’s some official policy about it, but just because it’s the right thing to do. We don’t have so much town business that this is impossible to do. When area residents asked why they were not informed, they were told that the law requires people within 500 feet or on immediately adjoining parcels to be informed of a proposed variance. But surely a 178-foot-tall perpetual-noise-creating structure has more of an impact than other proposed variances do. And they thought – a sensible proposal – that there should be a longer delay between the announcing of future town issues to be decided and the actual meetings when they are decided. In a rural area word sometimes does not get around immediately.  (And oddly enough the Zoning Board of Appeals final meeting on this issue, which is coming up very soon (November 13th) has not been posted on the town’s website, nor have the minutes from their previous meetings).

The Gillmans left with the feeling that no one in the town government cared about their life or the home they had built at all. Town government hadn’t looked for their input and was basically hoping to get the decision made without any discussion about it at all. They mentioned, however, that Carl Landon had been the person most willing to share information and his time with them, explaining how the Zoning Board worked and who they should be talking to.

I think this is a good example of the kind of unexpected town business which arises, and for which we need people who believe in democracy: who believe that elected officials are there to represent and serve, who believe that decisions are best made with community input, and who actively try to bring people into the decision-making process in order to ensure that the right thing gets done. I don’t think that any of the incumbent candidates can credibly make any of these claims – or this poor handling of the wind turbine issue would not have occurred (and right before the election too, when politicians are on their best behavior).

There is a Town Board meeting on Wednesday at 7 p.m.  That might be the time to speak up about this.  And send correspondence to your councilmen and to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

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