Wind turbine noise problem in Mars Hill (Hudson, Bridgewater: camps, live in)

[qhmare]

Originally Posted by kellysmith

ghmare
Point me in the direction of 5 to 10 acres for sale for $1000 an acre. The higher up the mountain the better...as long as I can get to it. I noticed some sound recording equipment set up on the 14th hole of the golf course the other day. I assume soon we will have some scientific data of the noise created. We stood beside the recording instrument and heard nothing. I don't know how far away the nearest windmill was, but it had to be less than 2000 ft. Last summer from the same location we could clearly hear the excavators and bull dozers as they worked away.

Ummm... don't ask me why, but my husband and I just purchased 12 more acres just last fall to go with our previous 30 or so acres. That was $1000/acre just last fall. I cannot imagine that the windmills have driven the price up to $4000/acre in the last few months. When we first started buying land out here this whole side was for sale... over the past 6 years that we've been on "our spot" we've gained several neighbors. Not all live out here at this point as the windmills have given people cause to wait and see what happens. Perhaps if land is listed at $4000/acre it is not really for sale?

I actually had thoughts that maybe if we built our house (that we aren't even sure we will build now) in the trees (on our newest parcel) rather than in the field we planned on that we wouldn't be able to see them or hear them as much. We now know that the trees won't muffle the sound that much.

As far as the recording equipment goes, the equipment actually can't even be used when the noise conditions are the worst. They can't be used in wind over a certain mph (I don't remember what it was, but it wasn't that much) or in wet conditions. I for one have noticed that it seems much louder when there is precipitation or even just heavy cloud cover.

And again it really boils down to "location, location, location". Although I have talked to one person who lives on the west side (quite some distance from the windmills) who complains of the noise, I haven't experienced hearing it from that side myself. One day this winter while my husband was skiing he did say one windmill near the top of the ski-lift was quite loud and many people commented on it, but the winds were easterly that day.

qhmare

[qhmare]

Originally Posted by JustSayNo

Don't worry qhmare, I for one am on your side, and will ALWAYS stand behind you on this detestable issue. I think GoldenCrow and Bovinehates are right next to me! You are not alone in this.
!

JustSayNo, you make me feel so much better every time I read one of your posts! Thank you so much! I don't know that I'd given a lot of thought to much of this being a problem with society, but now that you've brought it to my attention, I think you are right. Much to think about and consider the changes I should bring to my life to make a difference. Thank you.
qhmare

[qhmare]

Originally Posted by DaizyMaine

qhmare, don't give up trying to educate people about the problems you and the rest of our neighbors back here have to deal with living near the windmills. I was pro for some time and did a report about the benefits of wind power several months ago, even liked the way they looked. However, people can and do see what has gone on if they have an open mind to really being educated and not just opinionated. I'm pretty stubborn but I really wanted to know the reality and not just what the wind companies and those with a financial interest will tell you (which is where most of the information for the report came from ). A lot of my education came from checking out the information posted here on this forum from those of you from NY who have been there done that. And you know, I look at the windmills through entirerly different eyes now.....they are pretty ugly in more ways than one!

Thanks Daizy! Sometimes it really seems like it would be easier to just give up though. The other day my husband was talking to a man who lives in a nearby town who accused my husband and everyone else out here who dislikes the noise of being liars. He said he'd been nearby the windmills and "couldn't hear a thing". He went on to say we were all making it up. It feels like such a waste of breath to try to educate someone who doesn't want to open their ears. Seems like people just want to fight about it rather than anything else. Don't know that I have enough time or energy to fight about something like whether or not I hear noise from these things... I have many other things I'd rather be spending my time and energy on!

I am trying to adapt to them. I totalled my car a couple of months ago and had to buy a new one... I don't like this new one at all, but I am trying to adapt to it. I can't have the old car back, just like I can't have our mountainside back sans the windmills. I can leave or accept the windmills. I really want to be here on the "back side of the mountain" very much, so I'm trying to accept these things.

qhmare

[qhmare]

Originally Posted by JustSayNo

http://www.windaction.org/opinions/9611

Interesting Opinion piece that counter-balances a wind propaganda piece penned by a Mass. writer. A good example of the two sides counter-pointing each other.

Very interesting. Thank you for posting this.
qhmare

[ljotis]

You can look at the name, and tell I'm an Otis, and I'll speak my mind. I do not live in the town any more, but I was home visiting and yes, they are eye sores. I feel bad for the people who got screwed in the making, planning, well just about every aspect of this project. I don't understand every aspect of them, but I know that if it affects some, it should affect everybody. When we built our business it affected some, it still does, and we try to find ways to fix it any time we can. I hope that something good comes out of this, whatever they can do, they should try. Sorry to sound so nieve on the subject, but I believe that there can be a medium found, at least I hope.

Otis

[truckmen]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

i always wanted a windmill in my yard, and if anyone ever had their own private windmill, you can charge Bangor hydro/cmp/ for excess power going into the grid. id set the invoice up like a phone bill, 300 taxes on it,,,,not knowing why??

This is true, but you may want to call your local power provider regarding details of selling back surplus power you produce. It's is quite an extensive and, in my estimation, a quite convoluted process just to et it approved. Then, after al of the required loops to jumps through, you only get wholesale price for that surplus you've produced. The amount that it is I cannot tell you as I have not seen the price spread between wholesale and retail. My feeling is I would rather create a battery bank system to store my surplus power and "tweek" my production to stay within efficiency of the household, but that is another subject.

Ralph M Bohm

[rabbitlover]

Originally Posted by kellysmith

RabbitLover,
So explain to me why my spending an afternoon on Mars Hill mountain and reporting that try as I may, I was unable to detect one sound of a windmill makes me selfish? I spent four hours there today too, and didn't hear anything. I also asked quite a few Mars Hill residents that I saw at the golf course what all the fuss was about..and to a person they said it was four or five families that were complaining. I would add that they also said the loudest voices were from "away"..but I won't since that would make me biased as well as selfish!...and where is all the cheap land up on the mountain. I'm interested in a fire sale. I see one 50 acre plot advertised for $395,000...142 acres for $950,000...several 21 acre plots for $79,000. Someone thinks the windmills are not a problem..other than me!

Yeah, right. The loudest voices are from people born in Mars Hill and people who have lived there 60 years people have had land all over the place. You can find land for less than 1000. an acre around that mountain .

[rabbitlover]

Originally Posted by DavidoftheNorth

Where were you guys while it was in the process of being permitted? It's kinda late now, don't you think?

We were told there is nothing you can do about it, it's private land.

[rabbitlover]

Originally Posted by qhmare

Perhaps if land is listed at $4000/acre it is not really for sale?

Or it's wishful thinking by some people who believe the windmills being loud are a figmant of the imagination.

[DavidoftheNorth]

Originally Posted by qhmare

Well, I for one was right here living in Mars Hill. There was no local vote on this subject. Our town council told us it was completely a private deal between the landowners who were leasing the land and UPC. We were told this after the plan was announced by our state Governor. Yes, I believe it's too late though.
qhmare

I'm sorry for your predicament. Now you need to create a Comprehensive Plan and impanel a Planning Board to protect you down the road.