Wind Turbine Proposal Submitted to Stamford, Roxbury, NY - Invenergy LLC (New York: leases, construction)

[BovinaCowHateWindTurbines]

Some crazy people decided to fight these attempts at having corporate America take over our rights:

Bovina Industrial Wind Energy Project - Delaware County, New York

[honeychrome]

Bovina, thanks for posting links to the Stamford ordinance and the alliance statement. I'm not a lawyer, so no doubt there may be some clever word twists contained in the ordinance to favor the developer, but aside from the egregious exemption limitations, from a lay-person's reading overall it doesn't seem like a horrible ordinance. Of course the exemption limitations essentially make it illegal for an individual to construct an electrical 'WECS' to power their own residence, regardless of height it seems, without going through the same expensive permitting process an industrial developer does. That seems utterly ridiculous. And how nice that a business, hotel, commercial or municipal facility is entitled to a 2500ft setback, but a residence gets only 1000ft, though that section is a bit confusing, so maybe it is 2500ft for all off-site residences... The ordinance does provide for decomissioning, but when the time comes there are ways around that (shift corporate assets, declare the responsible entity bankrupt, walk away....). I suppose for those in Stamford against the industrial development this is a defeat. If I had an 'affected property' I'd memorize the ordinance and be vigilant in making sure that every letter of it is adhered to... and start campaigning to unseat the board.

[BovinaCowHateWindTurbines]

Thanks HC for your comments and insight are always informative and well conceived - I am going to reserve comment and let the lawsuit play itself out - I will make updates when anything is worth posting... Did you read the Article 78?

The last page of the wind law (first link) negates the wind law IMO because there was was no prior plan submitted for a wind installation , no zoning laws in Stamford and no comprehensive plan that restricts anything so build away as I see it. So they can't have a law for something that is only "theoretical to them" (loophole?) poorly and obviously a way to freight train the turbines into the community . Also it completely bypass's an Environmental Review - required - this is the NYC watershed after all and they don't like anyone messing with the water. So all of those great things they have to do first are negated. Fill out a few very simple forms and pay 100 dollars and your in the wind business. Prior to the law Invenergy started working with them in 2006 and I had found plans that go back to 1999. nuff said - Maybe we need a lawyer forum to get through all that language they spend two years learning... Invenergy had a pig roast 2 weeks ago didn't go not sure how that would have worked out - but hey their feeding the locals! Now have one every night and maybe your talking...

Thanks! moo

[BovinaCowHateWindTurbines]

Originally Posted by BovinaCowHateWindTurbines

Some crazy people decided to fight these attempts at having corporate America take over our rights:

Bovina Industrial Wind Energy Project - Delaware County, New York

and won...

[BovinaCowHateWindTurbines]

BOVINA TOWN BOARD VOTES TO BAN WIND TURBINES


In an historic vote on March 13, 2007, after months of controversy and research, the Bovina Town Board banned wind turbines from this scenic Catskill town. Bovina is the first town in the Catskills to take a clear position against industrial wind development. The Bovina vote follows a twelve-month moratorium during which residents made their views known to town officials through open meetings sponsored by the board, hundreds of letters, a town survey, a petition, and a poll sponsored by industrial wind opponents. The vote was three in favor of a ban, one opposed. About sixty people attended the public hearing before the vote.

Moderator cut: copyright

National Wind Watch | BOVINA TOWN BOARD VOTES TO BAN WIND TURBINES

[BovinaCowHateWindTurbines]

Meredith board holds special meeting (broken link)

Also reading the County Shopper I read an ad that had a new organization.

Meridith Defense Fund

A question posed in the ad.

Do you believe it is wrong for a town board member to vote in an ordinance where one of the only winners will be his father?

[honeychrome]

Originally Posted by BovinaCowHateWindTurbines

Do you believe it is wrong for a town board member to vote in an ordinance where one of the only winners will be his father?

I guess it would depend on the individual town laws, but it is a clear conflict of interest and ought to be illegal. There are conflict of interest laws at state and federal levels, not that they have stopped many a politician from ignoring them.

As far as the Bovina zoning amendment, I'd be afraid that including residential-use, small scale turbines in the ban is what is going to be used to nullify the entire amendment and the whole fight will have to be repeated. Simply setting a maximum height limit for any wind turbines could have effectively banned industrial wind development without affect on a homeowner's or farmer's right to use wind power. I think it was a flaw inserted on purpose to weaken the amendment when it is legally challenged (and you can be pretty certain it will be challenged).

BovinaCow, I think you might be misreading the last section of the Samford law. As I read it that section is basically saying "we've come up with this law because there currently is none to govern wind energy facilities."

[BovinaCowHateWindTurbines]

Originally Posted by honeychrome

enged).

BovinaCow, I think you might be misreading the last section of the Stamford law. As I read it that section is basically saying "we've come up with this law because there currently is none to govern wind energy facilities."

Exactly -- The law pre-proposal negates any of the above "requirements" that are necessary, So I do believe it is a contradiction in the law - hard to see between the lines it seemed to me having read these things quite a bit to be basically a complete disregard for an Environmental Review which is really the "smoking gun"

1. The New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”), Article 8, Environmental Conservation Law (“ECL”) demands that environmental considerations be incorporated into the governmental decision making process at the earliest opportunity. Respondent, the Town Board of the Town of Stamford (“Board” or “the Town”), ignored this admonition, essentially disregarding SEQRA when it adopted Local Law No. 1 of 2007, Wind Energy Facilities (“WEF Law”) on May 16, 2007.

Thanks HC - I read a post about a family wanted to move to South Kortright and I thought an update would be helpful - Also the update was about Meridith - the next Town to be ruined - and very real and very possible - And yes it was quirky the way they did it in the end for residential wind which I have no problem with at all because I support the ability for any person to be have the ability to produce their own power. It is also interesting that no one of these companies ever dispute any "exaggeration" ever made - I have never witnessed any wind company that would come forward on the InterWeb and state or dispute anything - You would think like any good advertiser of anything, good or bad that they would be willing to back up their claims of the greening of America.

So let's hear from the developers of wind and how it helps us all -

[BovinaCowHateWindTurbines]

http://www.moresvillewind.com/pdf/do...ures_Final.pdf

You can view the entire Invenergy application on line by clicking:
Moresville Wind Farm

[BovinaCowHateWindTurbines]

With permission:

"Dear Neighbor,
As you probably already know, Invenergy has submitted an application to Roxbury to build 33 Industrial Wind Turbines, Substations, Maintenance Building and 8-10 miles of access roads on our mountain ridges in the towns of Roxbury and Stamford. Each turbine stands the height of a 40 story building. The project, if approved, will have an irreversible and devastating impact on all us who live in Stamford, Roxbury, Gilboa and surrounding areas.
"

Western Catskill Preservation Alliance