Upstate - New York's dumping ground? (Chautauqua, Arkwright: ordinances, farms, installation)

[GoldenCrow]

WNY seems to be easy prey for those who want to use us as a dumping ground because so many of our towns are desparate for anything that will bring in money.

I've been watching the process by which the industrial-grade wind turbines are being sold into my town, and it's full of intrigue: back room deals with local elected officials, sales scams to get the elderly and uneducated to sign inch-thick contracts that are not in their best interest, pressure to pass laws that don't offer adequate protection to neighbors...all packed with a nice "green" bow! It's renewable energy, what could possibly be wrong? Plenty, once you take a close look.

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by GoldenCrow

WNY seems to be easy prey for those who want to use us as a dumping ground because so many of our towns are desparate for anything that will bring in money.

I've been watching the process by which the industrial-grade wind turbines are being sold into my town, and it's full of intrigue: back room deals with local elected officials, sales scams to get the elderly and uneducated to sign inch-thick contracts that are not in their best interest, pressure to pass laws that don't offer adequate protection to neighbors...all packed with a nice "green" bow! It's renewable energy, what could possibly be wrong? Plenty, once you take a close look.

I agree with the government process part of the post, but i don't agree with the "dumping ground" part. many towns in wny have been the focus of wind energy and almost every single one has decided against it, even the ones that would bring in any significant amount of money.

[GoldenCrow]

Originally Posted by oktaren

I agree with the government process part of the post, but i don't agree with the "dumping ground" part. many towns in wny have been the focus of wind energy and almost every single one has decided against it, even the ones that would bring in any significant amount of money.

Hi Oktaren --

I've found that most towns in WNY either don't have a law on the books that governs utility-grade wind installations, or if they do, the law allows for them to be built.

Only a handfull of NY towns have passed local laws that effectively ban the development of industrial wind plants. They do allow for small-scale wind energy development for home or farm use, with wind turbines up to 125' feet (or so) tall. The utility-grade turbines are over 400' tall.

The two towns that I know of that have passed legislation that has banned large-scale wind turbines are Malone, NY and Bovina, NY. Anyone know of any others?

[BovinaCowHateWindTurbines]

Andes has banned them as well - Stamford, Roxbury, Meridith are in the processing of fighting the towns wind friendly status and have filed an Article 78.


Western Catskill Preservation Alliance » September 17th Press Release
"Despite overwhelming opposition to the Industrial Wind Turbines Project, Invenergy, the Towns of Roxbury and Stamford and now Delaware County continue to frighten and annoy property owners by aggressively pressing forward with a very costly and time consuming application process. The Western Catskill Preservation Alliance (WCPA) has spoken with many of the land owner listed in Invenergy’s application (Tables 1b, 2 and 4) and has learned that the majority are opposed to the project and do not plan to sign leases or grant setback waivers. “Invenergy has listed people’s names and address information that have absolutely no interest in this project.”"

[GoldenCrow]

Originally Posted by BovinaCowHateWindTurbines

Andes has banned them as well - Stamford, Roxbury, Meridith are in the processing of fighting the towns wind friendly status and have filed an Article 78.

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Good morning to everyone's favorite bovine!

So what do we have...six towns that have passed zoning laws banning these large-scale wind installations out of over 1000 towns & cities in New York State? About 1/2 of 1%?

Thanks for the link.

[BovinaCowHateWindTurbines]

Hey good afternoon GC. Been a while hope things are well with you and the wind war.

As far as I know only three towns Cherry Valley imposed very strict zoning which would make it impossible for the developers to propose a plan.

Bovina and Andes banned them outright, however I believe Andes did a better job by strengthening the ban with strict zone ordinances (setbacks, noise levels etc).

That is the next battle after we kick out the town board this November who were all pro-wind yet voted for the ban, to put strict zoning restrictions as a back up to the ban. Heck we can't even put up more than a 40' flag pole so how they tried to shove 450ft wind turbines down our throat is a true testament to greed and politics.

good luck!

Let's keep New York State turbine free!


I stand corrected Golden I re-read one of your other posts and found three others - Thanks!

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by GoldenCrow

Hi Oktaren --

I've found that most towns in WNY either don't have a law on the books that governs utility-grade wind installations, or if they do, the law allows for them to be built.

Only a handfull of NY towns have passed local laws that effectively ban the development of industrial wind plants. They do allow for small-scale wind energy development for home or farm use, with wind turbines up to 125' feet (or so) tall. The utility-grade turbines are over 400' tall.

The two towns that I know of that have passed legislation that has banned large-scale wind turbines are Malone, NY and Bovina, NY. Anyone know of any others?

I don't know anyone who has out and out banned them, but almost all the towns have laws on the books now for where and how they can be placed. It has actually made it very hard for them to put any here. I work as an environmental scientist/gis analyst and have worked on some of the environmental impact statements on some of the projects and everytime a company came to put one in a town, the town would get the laws together asap. They actually did a very good job at it.

Gotta watch those "green" utility companies. They will try every trick in the book to get around things. Pretty sad actually.

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by BovinaCowHateWindTurbines

Hey good afternoon GC. Been a while hope things are well with you and the wind war.

As far as I know only three towns Cherry Valley imposed very strict zoning which would make it impossible for the developers to propose a plan.

Bovina and Andes banned them outright, however I believe Andes did a better job by strengthening the ban with strict zone ordinances (setbacks, noise levels etc).

That is the next battle after we kick out the town board this November who were all pro-wind yet voted for the ban, to put strict zoning restrictions as a back up to the ban. Heck we can't even put up more than a 40' flag pole so how they tried to shove 450ft wind turbines down our throat is a true testament to greed and politics.

good luck!

Let's keep New York State turbine free!


I stand corrected Golden I re-read one of your other posts and found three others - Thanks!

Here is one of the pages used to fight the Westfield/Ripley industrial power plant idea.

Chautauqua Wind Power

[JustSayNo]

Originally Posted by oktaren

I don't know anyone who has out and out banned them, but almost all the towns have laws on the books now for where and how they can be placed. It has actually made it very hard for them to put any here. I work as an environmental scientist/gis analyst and have worked on some of the environmental impact statements on some of the projects and everytime a company came to put one in a town, the town would get the laws together asap. They actually did a very good job at it.

Gotta watch those "green" utility companies. They will try every trick in the book to get around things. Pretty sad actually.

OK, okt. I think you need to do a little research because several of us HAVE BANNED IWT outright. I appreciate your contribution to the effort, but your data seems a little out of date. Look up Bovina and Andes and Malone to start.

Arkwright and Cohocton and Stamford are in deep severe with downright illegal local governments and backroom dirty deals. they are fighting, hard, with Article 78s and a strong drive for support to overturn toiletpaper "ordinances".

But, with Rosemary Nichols and Nicole Franchese (sp?). of the Delaware County Planning Board cheering and secretly pushing IWT development re-using the same wind-friendly ordinance template over and over and over again, they are an extended arm of the snake-oil salesmen rolling into the towns. I CAN'T WAIT for Rosmary Nichols tobe investigated-she has made 10s of 1000s from many many Del. County towns as their "town lawyer."

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by JustSayNo

OK, okt. I think you need to do a little research because several of us HAVE BANNED IWT outright. I appreciate your contribution to the effort, but your data seems a little out of date. Look up Bovina and Andes and Malone to start.

Arkwright and Cohocton and Stamford are in deep severe with downright illegal local governments and backroom dirty deals. they are fighting, hard, with Article 78s and a strong drive for support to overturn toiletpaper "ordinances".

But, with Rosemary Nichols and Nicole Franchese (sp?). of the Delaware County Planning Board cheering and secretly pushing IWT development re-using the same wind-friendly ordinance template over and over and over again, they are an extended arm of the snake-oil salesmen rolling into the towns. I CAN'T WAIT for Rosmary Nichols tobe investigated-she has made 10s of 1000s from many many Del. County towns as their "town lawyer."

What are you talking about? I was agreeing. Someone asked for any other towns that out and out banned them, I said "I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO HAS." I wasn't saying no one has, but that i didn't know who has or who hasn't.

I know all about arkwright, but it won't be going in. Nothing to worry about there.