From ADEDA
THE HISTORIC GARDENS
An annual membership makes a great (and value-packed) gift anytime of the year. And make sure to save this date … Saturday, May 29 for the 2010 Spring Gala & Auction in support of the Historic Gardens!
SISSIBOO COFFEE ROASTER
Creative entrepreneurs Jon Welch and partner Erin have set up shop in Bear River offering a variety of organic coffee beans that are roasted on-site in small, flavourful batches! Their renovated Rebekah building also houses an amazing concert space, bicycle repair shop and art gallery.
TIMOTHY HARPS
Having relocated from Ontario, Timothy Habinski is a world-renowned harp luthier — one of only six full-time makers in Canada — who has now set up shop in Bridgetown.
VINTAGE VACATIONS
Designer/craftsman Craig Dorsey, newly arrived to Annapolis Digby from southern California, restores classic trailers for celebrities and travel buffs alike!
TAMRA DORSEY DESIGNS
A gifted designer in her own right, Tamra Dorsey brings a wealth of graphic design talent to our region, holding an impressive portfolio that includes branding, advertising and packaging work. Check it out!
DIGBY AREA TOURISM ASSOCIATION
A must-view for anyone planning a trip to the Digby area, and a great reference site for all our tourism operators and retailers to share with visitors!
Remember, there’s always something new at annapolisdigby.com.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Are Your Area Turbines Old or New in Design?
Blogger's Note: Are your area politicians planning to install old design turbines?
Also note the reference to not installing turbines in migratory bird pathways or areas with large bird populations, and, I would add an area noted for rare bird species.
from howstuffworks
The Problem with Wind Turbines
It's easy to see why wind turbines are at least potentially hazardous for birds: Massive blades with tips spinning at up to 179 mph (80 meters per second), hundreds of feet (at least 30 meters) in the air, are an obvious problem for anything flying near them [source: MIT]. The fact is, birds do fly into the path of the blades and die a grisly death. Most of the affected birds are songbirds, and about 10 percent are birds of prey like raptors [source: ABC]. It's the raptors that started all the protests, when hundreds of carcasses were found strewn across Northern California's Altamont Pass wind farm.
Phil Schermeister/National Geographic/Getty Images
The Altamont Pass in California is known for its outdated turbines and high avian mortality rate.
Bird conservationists took great interest, and the misconception that wind turbines pose a major threat to bird populations grew from there. By applying the mortality rates at Altamont Pass to every wind farm in the United States, the bird-mortality figures became extremely inflated. In fact, Altamont Pass is a unique case of a wind farm that is truly a significant hazard to birds.
Altamont Pass is different for two main reasons: turbine location and turbine design.
There are more than 4,000 wind turbines at the Altamont Pass energy farm in California. It's one of the first wind farms in the United States, and its 20-year-old turbines are accordingly out-of-date. Their design has long since been abandoned: Latticework blades with small surface area are far from efficient for energy generation, and far from safe for birds. The lattice structure actually attracts large birds, because the frame makes for an excellent perch. Large birds like raptors are drawn to the blades, and collision rates are high as a result.
The other design issue is the blades' low surface area, because less surface area means the blades have to spin faster to turn the electricity-generating turbines. The faster the blades spin, the more dangerous they are to birds flying near them. It's unlikely that a bird that finds itself in the vicinity of the blades could ever make it through when they're spinning so fast.
As if this weren't enough to make old wind farms a bird nightmare, the Altamont Pass power plant was built smack dab in the middle of a major migratory route for large birds. The area also houses the world's largest single population of golden eagles [source: USA Today]. With thousands of dated wind turbines sprawling across a super-high-population bird area, it's inevitable that birds and turbines will meet. A current estimate puts the number of birds killed by turbines at Altamont Pass to be about 4,700 each year, several hundred of which are raptors [source: USA Today].
The Altamont Pass wind farm kills far more birds than any other farm in the United States. The total at that single wind farm with 4,000 turbines is 4,700 fatalities; the total for all wind farms in the United States, with more than 25,000 turbines in operation at any given time, is 10,000 to 40,000 per year [source: Reuters].
Even though up to 1 billion birds die each year by flying into windows, no one is brushing off the tens of thousands of turbine-related deaths every year. So what are we doing to lower that number? On the next page, we'll see what changes are being implemented to save the birds.
Location, Location and Surface Area
In the past couple of decades, turbine designs have changed dramatically. Turbine blades are now solid, meaning no lattice structure to attract birds looking to perch. Also, the blades' surface area is much larger, so they don't have to spin as fast to generate power. Slower-moving blades mean fewer bird collisions.
Frank Whitney/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images
Newer turbines, like those on Tug Hill in New York, have a larger surface area and cause fewer bird deaths.
Perhaps the biggest change in wind-farm safety, though, has to do with location. Now, all new turbine proposals are reviewed for ideal, bird-friendly placement. Wind farms cannot be built in migratory pathways, in areas with high bird populations, or in areas with special features that could possibly attract high bird populations in the future. Also, the growing trend toward offshore turbine construction bodes well for birds, since offshore wind farms have fewer bird collisions than land-based farms.
Possibly the greatest indicator that wind turbines are not, in fact, bird-o-matics, is the growing number of endorsements by bird conservation groups. The American Bird Conservancy supports wind power with the caveat that bird-friendly placement and design be primary factors in construction [source: ABC]. The Wisconsin Bird Initiative states that wind turbines have a "low impact" on avian mortality compared to window glass and communication towers [source: WBCI]. And in 2006, the Audubon Society gave its figurative seal of approval to the American Wind Energy Association. The president of the national organization is quoted by Renewable Energy World as stating, "When you look at a wind turbine, you can find the bird carcasses and count them. With a coal-fired power plant, you can't count the carcasses, but it's going to kill a lot more birds" [source: REW].
Of course, zero turbine-related bird deaths would be the best-case scenario, but as far as energy production goes, that seems to be an unrealistic goal. The best we can hope for is smarter placement of wind turbines and more bird-friendly design in order to further reduce the number of bird deaths resulting from one of the best alternative energy sources available right now. Altamont Pass, for its part, is in the process of slowly replacing its turbines with newer models.
Also note the reference to not installing turbines in migratory bird pathways or areas with large bird populations, and, I would add an area noted for rare bird species.
from howstuffworks
The Problem with Wind Turbines
It's easy to see why wind turbines are at least potentially hazardous for birds: Massive blades with tips spinning at up to 179 mph (80 meters per second), hundreds of feet (at least 30 meters) in the air, are an obvious problem for anything flying near them [source: MIT]. The fact is, birds do fly into the path of the blades and die a grisly death. Most of the affected birds are songbirds, and about 10 percent are birds of prey like raptors [source: ABC]. It's the raptors that started all the protests, when hundreds of carcasses were found strewn across Northern California's Altamont Pass wind farm.
Phil Schermeister/National Geographic/Getty Images
The Altamont Pass in California is known for its outdated turbines and high avian mortality rate.
Bird conservationists took great interest, and the misconception that wind turbines pose a major threat to bird populations grew from there. By applying the mortality rates at Altamont Pass to every wind farm in the United States, the bird-mortality figures became extremely inflated. In fact, Altamont Pass is a unique case of a wind farm that is truly a significant hazard to birds.
Altamont Pass is different for two main reasons: turbine location and turbine design.
There are more than 4,000 wind turbines at the Altamont Pass energy farm in California. It's one of the first wind farms in the United States, and its 20-year-old turbines are accordingly out-of-date. Their design has long since been abandoned: Latticework blades with small surface area are far from efficient for energy generation, and far from safe for birds. The lattice structure actually attracts large birds, because the frame makes for an excellent perch. Large birds like raptors are drawn to the blades, and collision rates are high as a result.
The other design issue is the blades' low surface area, because less surface area means the blades have to spin faster to turn the electricity-generating turbines. The faster the blades spin, the more dangerous they are to birds flying near them. It's unlikely that a bird that finds itself in the vicinity of the blades could ever make it through when they're spinning so fast.
As if this weren't enough to make old wind farms a bird nightmare, the Altamont Pass power plant was built smack dab in the middle of a major migratory route for large birds. The area also houses the world's largest single population of golden eagles [source: USA Today]. With thousands of dated wind turbines sprawling across a super-high-population bird area, it's inevitable that birds and turbines will meet. A current estimate puts the number of birds killed by turbines at Altamont Pass to be about 4,700 each year, several hundred of which are raptors [source: USA Today].
The Altamont Pass wind farm kills far more birds than any other farm in the United States. The total at that single wind farm with 4,000 turbines is 4,700 fatalities; the total for all wind farms in the United States, with more than 25,000 turbines in operation at any given time, is 10,000 to 40,000 per year [source: Reuters].
Even though up to 1 billion birds die each year by flying into windows, no one is brushing off the tens of thousands of turbine-related deaths every year. So what are we doing to lower that number? On the next page, we'll see what changes are being implemented to save the birds.
Location, Location and Surface Area
In the past couple of decades, turbine designs have changed dramatically. Turbine blades are now solid, meaning no lattice structure to attract birds looking to perch. Also, the blades' surface area is much larger, so they don't have to spin as fast to generate power. Slower-moving blades mean fewer bird collisions.
Frank Whitney/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images
Newer turbines, like those on Tug Hill in New York, have a larger surface area and cause fewer bird deaths.
Perhaps the biggest change in wind-farm safety, though, has to do with location. Now, all new turbine proposals are reviewed for ideal, bird-friendly placement. Wind farms cannot be built in migratory pathways, in areas with high bird populations, or in areas with special features that could possibly attract high bird populations in the future. Also, the growing trend toward offshore turbine construction bodes well for birds, since offshore wind farms have fewer bird collisions than land-based farms.
Possibly the greatest indicator that wind turbines are not, in fact, bird-o-matics, is the growing number of endorsements by bird conservation groups. The American Bird Conservancy supports wind power with the caveat that bird-friendly placement and design be primary factors in construction [source: ABC]. The Wisconsin Bird Initiative states that wind turbines have a "low impact" on avian mortality compared to window glass and communication towers [source: WBCI]. And in 2006, the Audubon Society gave its figurative seal of approval to the American Wind Energy Association. The president of the national organization is quoted by Renewable Energy World as stating, "When you look at a wind turbine, you can find the bird carcasses and count them. With a coal-fired power plant, you can't count the carcasses, but it's going to kill a lot more birds" [source: REW].
Of course, zero turbine-related bird deaths would be the best-case scenario, but as far as energy production goes, that seems to be an unrealistic goal. The best we can hope for is smarter placement of wind turbines and more bird-friendly design in order to further reduce the number of bird deaths resulting from one of the best alternative energy sources available right now. Altamont Pass, for its part, is in the process of slowly replacing its turbines with newer models.
BEFORE Wind Turbines Are Allowed...
From theindependant.com
With development up, area counties add wind power regulations
By Mark Coddington
mark.coddington@theindependent.com
Published: Saturday, December 26, 2009 9:15 PM CST
As two Central Nebraska counties prepare for proposed commercial wind farms, several others are adding zoning regulations to cover wind turbines.
Most of the counties have not been approached by private wind developers like the ones who are planning wind farms near Petersburg in Boone County and Broken Bow in Custer County, though they have had residents ask about installing small-scale wind turbines.
The new regulations are being driven instead by a desire to be prepared should significant requests for wind development arrive.
"It looks like it's a trend that's going to be moving forward," said Jerry Hoegh, chairman of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, which passed regulations earlier this month. "And we just want to be ready for it when our citizens approach us about it."
Hamilton County's new regulations cover only small-scale wind projects of fewer than 100 kilowatts. North of Grand Island, Valley and Wheeler counties have passed regulations this fall encompassing both small-scale and commercial wind development, and Sherman County is working on regulations for both, as well.
Orval Stahr, who runs the York zoning consulting firm Stahr and Associates, said he has worked with about a half-dozen counties on wind regulations within the past year, including Valley, Wheeler and Sherman counties.
Stahr said counties' interest in regulating wind power picked up after two events last spring.
First, the state's first commercially developed wind project, Elkhorn Ridge near Bloomfield in northeast Nebraska, went online in March.
Second, the state Legislature passed a bill in May enabling net metering, which allows residents who generate their own power to sell the excess back to public utilities.
That doesn't necessarily mean we'll be seeing small wind turbines dotting the countryside anytime soon, Stahr said.
"I honestly don't think we're going to see a lot of small units," Stahr said. "At today's cost and efficiency, it just doesn't make a lot of sense."
Still, counties are interested in making sure that if that small-scale wind power develops, they have a handle on it.
"We just kind of want to be prepared instead of waiting until people are already doing something," said Dan Hruza, zoning administrator in Valley and Wheeler counties, as well as Garfield County, which hasn't looked at wind regulations yet.
Stahr said two of the most important issues in regulations are the beating that county roads take when the turbine equipment is driven into the county and the turbines' decommissioning years down the road.
He recommends that counties require that commercial developers have an arrangement with city or county roads officials about where they are allowed to drive as part of a conditional-use permit process.
Regulations on decommissioning are intended to prevent turbines from turning into an eyesore once their useful life is past, though Stahr said he's not sure that county zoning departments have the power to demand a surety in case the turbines aren't cleaned up properly.
Several zoning administrators said another of their primary concerns is setback distances from both residences and others' property.
Those regulations are intended to keep the turbines' noise away from residents and to ensure that if they fall down, they land only on their owners' property.
Sherman County Zoning Administrator Marie Fredrick said her county is looking at basing the setbacks on the length of the blade, rather than the length of the entire tower, to allow turbines to be placed on pivot corners in fields.
Sherman County held a public hearing Monday on its proposed regulations with Stahr present. No members of the public showed up.
That's been typical of the public response (or lack thereof) in many counties, Stahr said, since the regulations are dealing with hypothetical situations at this point.
Hamilton County Zoning Administrator Darla Svoboda said she hopes that once those hypotheticals turn into actual cases, the county will have the ability to tweak the regulations to make sure they work, especially since it's an area of zoning the county has never dealt with.
"This is all new, and we're not sure that we're covering everything," Svoboda said. "It may be that we'll take a look at it and decide that we're including something that didn't work that well for that particular issue. ... It's kind of a trial and error process."
With development up, area counties add wind power regulations
By Mark Coddington
mark.coddington@theindependent.com
Published: Saturday, December 26, 2009 9:15 PM CST
As two Central Nebraska counties prepare for proposed commercial wind farms, several others are adding zoning regulations to cover wind turbines.
Most of the counties have not been approached by private wind developers like the ones who are planning wind farms near Petersburg in Boone County and Broken Bow in Custer County, though they have had residents ask about installing small-scale wind turbines.
The new regulations are being driven instead by a desire to be prepared should significant requests for wind development arrive.
"It looks like it's a trend that's going to be moving forward," said Jerry Hoegh, chairman of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, which passed regulations earlier this month. "And we just want to be ready for it when our citizens approach us about it."
Hamilton County's new regulations cover only small-scale wind projects of fewer than 100 kilowatts. North of Grand Island, Valley and Wheeler counties have passed regulations this fall encompassing both small-scale and commercial wind development, and Sherman County is working on regulations for both, as well.
Orval Stahr, who runs the York zoning consulting firm Stahr and Associates, said he has worked with about a half-dozen counties on wind regulations within the past year, including Valley, Wheeler and Sherman counties.
Stahr said counties' interest in regulating wind power picked up after two events last spring.
First, the state's first commercially developed wind project, Elkhorn Ridge near Bloomfield in northeast Nebraska, went online in March.
Second, the state Legislature passed a bill in May enabling net metering, which allows residents who generate their own power to sell the excess back to public utilities.
That doesn't necessarily mean we'll be seeing small wind turbines dotting the countryside anytime soon, Stahr said.
"I honestly don't think we're going to see a lot of small units," Stahr said. "At today's cost and efficiency, it just doesn't make a lot of sense."
Still, counties are interested in making sure that if that small-scale wind power develops, they have a handle on it.
"We just kind of want to be prepared instead of waiting until people are already doing something," said Dan Hruza, zoning administrator in Valley and Wheeler counties, as well as Garfield County, which hasn't looked at wind regulations yet.
Stahr said two of the most important issues in regulations are the beating that county roads take when the turbine equipment is driven into the county and the turbines' decommissioning years down the road.
He recommends that counties require that commercial developers have an arrangement with city or county roads officials about where they are allowed to drive as part of a conditional-use permit process.
Regulations on decommissioning are intended to prevent turbines from turning into an eyesore once their useful life is past, though Stahr said he's not sure that county zoning departments have the power to demand a surety in case the turbines aren't cleaned up properly.
Several zoning administrators said another of their primary concerns is setback distances from both residences and others' property.
Those regulations are intended to keep the turbines' noise away from residents and to ensure that if they fall down, they land only on their owners' property.
Sherman County Zoning Administrator Marie Fredrick said her county is looking at basing the setbacks on the length of the blade, rather than the length of the entire tower, to allow turbines to be placed on pivot corners in fields.
Sherman County held a public hearing Monday on its proposed regulations with Stahr present. No members of the public showed up.
That's been typical of the public response (or lack thereof) in many counties, Stahr said, since the regulations are dealing with hypothetical situations at this point.
Hamilton County Zoning Administrator Darla Svoboda said she hopes that once those hypotheticals turn into actual cases, the county will have the ability to tweak the regulations to make sure they work, especially since it's an area of zoning the county has never dealt with.
"This is all new, and we're not sure that we're covering everything," Svoboda said. "It may be that we'll take a look at it and decide that we're including something that didn't work that well for that particular issue. ... It's kind of a trial and error process."
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Santa Claus> yikes! wind farms!!
from Examiner.com
Santa Claus reports close call travelling over wind farms
Santa, as captured by one young boy in Iowa this morning
Heavy snows and poor visibility provided some tense moments for Santa Claus and his team of reindeer, while traveling over Iowa early this morning. Without realizing it, Santa and his sleigh were headed directly into a series of wind turbines in rural Iowa.
As they neared the wind farm, Santa reported Rudolph's nose began blinking erratically in a distress signal and Santa quickly turned the sleigh upwards, narrowly missing the giant blades of a wind turbine.
At his next stop, Santa made a note on his "to do" list for next year. Add radar to sleigh. He delivered gifts and picked up a few extra cookies for his reindeer, saving the biggest one for Rudolph.
Thanks to the efforts of the red nosed reindeer, Rudolph, a Christmas tragedy was avoided. Children all around the world will be able to enjoy their Christmas morning because of this remarkable reindeer.
Santa Claus reports close call travelling over wind farms
Santa, as captured by one young boy in Iowa this morning
Heavy snows and poor visibility provided some tense moments for Santa Claus and his team of reindeer, while traveling over Iowa early this morning. Without realizing it, Santa and his sleigh were headed directly into a series of wind turbines in rural Iowa.
As they neared the wind farm, Santa reported Rudolph's nose began blinking erratically in a distress signal and Santa quickly turned the sleigh upwards, narrowly missing the giant blades of a wind turbine.
At his next stop, Santa made a note on his "to do" list for next year. Add radar to sleigh. He delivered gifts and picked up a few extra cookies for his reindeer, saving the biggest one for Rudolph.
Thanks to the efforts of the red nosed reindeer, Rudolph, a Christmas tragedy was avoided. Children all around the world will be able to enjoy their Christmas morning because of this remarkable reindeer.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Pylons/Turbines and Landscape
From Burham and Highbridge Weekly News
In the shadow of the giant pylons
12:00pm Thursday 24th December 2009
By David Hemming »
A PROSPECTIVE MP for Burnham is calling for a show of solidarity from the community over plans for a new corridor of “super-size” pylons.
LibDem candidate Tessa Munt wants residents in villages surrounding the proposed pylon route to write to applicants National Grid and local MP David Heathcoat-Amory voicing their concerns.
The Weekly News has reported how National Grid has proposed two potential routes for the electricity pylons, which would connect the new Hinkley Point nuclear plant to the electricity transmission system in Avonmouth.
One of the routes would see the pylons pass through East Huntspill, Mark and Wedmore and Mrs Munt is concerned about the size of the pylons and their effect on the local landscape.
She said: “The proposed pylons will be over 152ft high and 60ft wide - to put this in context, I took a photo of scale models of Castle Head House on the A38 at Biddisham and one of the new pylons; then stood in front of the house to show the size of that property.
“People complain about a constant humming emitted from all pylons, particularly these super-sized ones.”
Among Mrs Munt's concerns are the pylons' potential loss of energy, their effect on tourism in the area, and their inability to transport electricity from tidal power.
She added: “Only by demonstrating the strength of public opinion have we any chance of stopping the pylons from marching across our beautiful countryside.”
Tory MP Mr Heathcoat-Amory says the pylons would be “intrusive” on the landscape and is urging his constituents to contact him with their views.
National Grid says the connection would have to be carried out in the most economical and efficient way possible and the two proposed corridors are the only routes which could be built.
A consultation period is taking place until January 8
In the shadow of the giant pylons
12:00pm Thursday 24th December 2009
By David Hemming »
A PROSPECTIVE MP for Burnham is calling for a show of solidarity from the community over plans for a new corridor of “super-size” pylons.
LibDem candidate Tessa Munt wants residents in villages surrounding the proposed pylon route to write to applicants National Grid and local MP David Heathcoat-Amory voicing their concerns.
The Weekly News has reported how National Grid has proposed two potential routes for the electricity pylons, which would connect the new Hinkley Point nuclear plant to the electricity transmission system in Avonmouth.
One of the routes would see the pylons pass through East Huntspill, Mark and Wedmore and Mrs Munt is concerned about the size of the pylons and their effect on the local landscape.
She said: “The proposed pylons will be over 152ft high and 60ft wide - to put this in context, I took a photo of scale models of Castle Head House on the A38 at Biddisham and one of the new pylons; then stood in front of the house to show the size of that property.
“People complain about a constant humming emitted from all pylons, particularly these super-sized ones.”
Among Mrs Munt's concerns are the pylons' potential loss of energy, their effect on tourism in the area, and their inability to transport electricity from tidal power.
She added: “Only by demonstrating the strength of public opinion have we any chance of stopping the pylons from marching across our beautiful countryside.”
Tory MP Mr Heathcoat-Amory says the pylons would be “intrusive” on the landscape and is urging his constituents to contact him with their views.
National Grid says the connection would have to be carried out in the most economical and efficient way possible and the two proposed corridors are the only routes which could be built.
A consultation period is taking place until January 8
Bethel USA and wind turbine ordinances
From Bethelcitizen.com
Planners urge ordinance covering wind turbines
By Michael Daniels
WIND TURBINES ARE NOT THE ONLY AREA where Bethel planners would like to see town ordinances updated to deal with new technologies. Planning Board Chairman Al Cressy said the town Sign Ordinance — under which the new Telstar sign was approved — needs to be revised to address LED lights such as the bright red lights now flashing across from the Bethel Alliance Church. While internally illuminated signs are not permitted by the current ordinance, there is no mention of LED lights, and when the sign went up, Cressy said, the Town Office began receiving calls from businesses saying “What’s going on? We thought signs like this were not allowed.” Others have complained about the brightness of the lights. And for himself, Cressy said: “Basically I think [approving] that sign was a major mistake in terms of what we’ve been trying to do with the signage. It really sticks out like a sore thumb.” Planner Jon Cowan, who voted to approve the sign, agreed. Noting that the appllcation called for amber, not red, lights he said: “My sense now is we voted in error. My vote, knowing what I see now, was not a good decision. I thought we could trust them to do the right thing, and they didn’t.”
Photo: M. Daniels
With proposals for clusters of wind turbines (or wind “farms”) springing up with increased rapidity across the state, including one for 11 towers on Spruce Mountain in Woodstock, Al Cressy, chairman of the Bethel Planning Board told his fellow planners last week: “I think the town is hanging out on a limb, with no ordinance regulating wind turbines.”
“If someone came to us with a proposal for a turbine farm, or even a personal turbine, we’d have nothing to go on, absolutely nothing,” he said.
In fact, the only statutory authority the board would have over wind turbines would be Site Plan Review, which limits commercial structures to 2-1/2 stories, or 35 feet in height.
As a first step toward remedying that lack of oversight, Cressy asked the board to approve a letter he had drafted to the town Board of Selectmen, recommending that a wind turbine ordinance be drafted and presented to voters at next year’s annual Town Meeting in June.
Rumford already has such an ordinance in place, he told the planners, and the State Planning Office has also drafted a model ordinance that Bethel might look at as a starting point.
And to bridge the gap until such an ordinance might be enacted, Cressy’s letter to the selectmen also recommends the town enact a 180-day moratorium on wind turbine construction.
Following brief discussion the planners approved (4-1) Cressy’s suggestions and agreed to submit the letter to the selectmen.
There was some discussion at last week’s meeting as to whether or not a new ordinance should apply to personal as well as commercial turbines.
On that point, Cressy said, he was personally uncertain.
“Maybe it should; maybe it shouldn’t,” he said.
Planner Jon Cowan thought both should be covered, at least in the initial ordinance.
“I think you’d be on safer ground if you covered them all, and didn’t try to sort out commercial and residential, for now,” Cowan said.
The planners ultimately approved (4-1) Cressy’s suggestions and agreed to submit the letter to the selectmen.
The recommendation to the selectmen are as follows:
1) A Town ordinance be developed for proposal to the voters of Bethel for approval at the June 2010 Town Meeting. In conjunction with this recommendation, the Planning Board would like to propose that a Selectboard-appointed ad hoc committee, to include one Planning Board member, be established for the purpose of drafting a proposed ordinance and seeking Town voter input on that ordinance.
2) A 180-day moratorium be established as soon as possible by the Town of Bethel on the erection of wind turbines for both personal and commercial use. Such a moratorium would preclude any wind turbines from being erected within Bethel until the Town voters have had a chance to consider a wind turbine ordinance for approval.
At the selectmen’s next meeting, Monday, Jan. 4, they are expected to take up the Planning Board’s recommendations.
Among the questions that the selectmen will likely be discussing is whether or not the proposed 180-day moratorium should go to voters at the special Town Meeting set for Feb. 9 (see police-coverage story).
Planners urge ordinance covering wind turbines
By Michael Daniels
WIND TURBINES ARE NOT THE ONLY AREA where Bethel planners would like to see town ordinances updated to deal with new technologies. Planning Board Chairman Al Cressy said the town Sign Ordinance — under which the new Telstar sign was approved — needs to be revised to address LED lights such as the bright red lights now flashing across from the Bethel Alliance Church. While internally illuminated signs are not permitted by the current ordinance, there is no mention of LED lights, and when the sign went up, Cressy said, the Town Office began receiving calls from businesses saying “What’s going on? We thought signs like this were not allowed.” Others have complained about the brightness of the lights. And for himself, Cressy said: “Basically I think [approving] that sign was a major mistake in terms of what we’ve been trying to do with the signage. It really sticks out like a sore thumb.” Planner Jon Cowan, who voted to approve the sign, agreed. Noting that the appllcation called for amber, not red, lights he said: “My sense now is we voted in error. My vote, knowing what I see now, was not a good decision. I thought we could trust them to do the right thing, and they didn’t.”
Photo: M. Daniels
With proposals for clusters of wind turbines (or wind “farms”) springing up with increased rapidity across the state, including one for 11 towers on Spruce Mountain in Woodstock, Al Cressy, chairman of the Bethel Planning Board told his fellow planners last week: “I think the town is hanging out on a limb, with no ordinance regulating wind turbines.”
“If someone came to us with a proposal for a turbine farm, or even a personal turbine, we’d have nothing to go on, absolutely nothing,” he said.
In fact, the only statutory authority the board would have over wind turbines would be Site Plan Review, which limits commercial structures to 2-1/2 stories, or 35 feet in height.
As a first step toward remedying that lack of oversight, Cressy asked the board to approve a letter he had drafted to the town Board of Selectmen, recommending that a wind turbine ordinance be drafted and presented to voters at next year’s annual Town Meeting in June.
Rumford already has such an ordinance in place, he told the planners, and the State Planning Office has also drafted a model ordinance that Bethel might look at as a starting point.
And to bridge the gap until such an ordinance might be enacted, Cressy’s letter to the selectmen also recommends the town enact a 180-day moratorium on wind turbine construction.
Following brief discussion the planners approved (4-1) Cressy’s suggestions and agreed to submit the letter to the selectmen.
There was some discussion at last week’s meeting as to whether or not a new ordinance should apply to personal as well as commercial turbines.
On that point, Cressy said, he was personally uncertain.
“Maybe it should; maybe it shouldn’t,” he said.
Planner Jon Cowan thought both should be covered, at least in the initial ordinance.
“I think you’d be on safer ground if you covered them all, and didn’t try to sort out commercial and residential, for now,” Cowan said.
The planners ultimately approved (4-1) Cressy’s suggestions and agreed to submit the letter to the selectmen.
The recommendation to the selectmen are as follows:
1) A Town ordinance be developed for proposal to the voters of Bethel for approval at the June 2010 Town Meeting. In conjunction with this recommendation, the Planning Board would like to propose that a Selectboard-appointed ad hoc committee, to include one Planning Board member, be established for the purpose of drafting a proposed ordinance and seeking Town voter input on that ordinance.
2) A 180-day moratorium be established as soon as possible by the Town of Bethel on the erection of wind turbines for both personal and commercial use. Such a moratorium would preclude any wind turbines from being erected within Bethel until the Town voters have had a chance to consider a wind turbine ordinance for approval.
At the selectmen’s next meeting, Monday, Jan. 4, they are expected to take up the Planning Board’s recommendations.
Among the questions that the selectmen will likely be discussing is whether or not the proposed 180-day moratorium should go to voters at the special Town Meeting set for Feb. 9 (see police-coverage story).
Labels:
Bethel wind turbine ordinances
Wind Turbines and Your Insurance
LETTER: Beware turbines' impact on insurance, 12-25-09
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Posted Dec 24, 2009 @ 02:38 PM
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Many cities and towns in Massachusetts are allowing commercial wind turbines by special permit within hundreds of feet of residential homes.
In some cases, these turbines are as high as the Statue of Liberty.
Setbacks are new to residential home owners as well as your insurance company.The insurance companies currently set rates for distance to fire hydrants and fire stations.
They set residential rates, commercial rates, flood rates, single family, two family, etc.
If you called your insurance agent today about commercial wind turbines, they would have no idea what you are talking about in regard to rate increases/changes.
Residential insurance rates are a valid consideration, and one that ought to be examined, especially by those homeowners who will be directly affected by the turbines, which will include living within the blade throw, ice throw, fire, lightning, environmental spill hazards, etc. of a commercial wind turbine.
Since this setback issue is new for the insurance companies, actuaries for the insurance companies will be figuring out the exposure to commercial wind turbines only after they are installed in your neighborhoods.
As the state moves forward, Massachusetts residents within the commercial wind turbine zone should be advised how to insure against a commercial wind turbine and tower.
Frank Haggerty
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Posted Dec 24, 2009 @ 02:38 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many cities and towns in Massachusetts are allowing commercial wind turbines by special permit within hundreds of feet of residential homes.
In some cases, these turbines are as high as the Statue of Liberty.
Setbacks are new to residential home owners as well as your insurance company.The insurance companies currently set rates for distance to fire hydrants and fire stations.
They set residential rates, commercial rates, flood rates, single family, two family, etc.
If you called your insurance agent today about commercial wind turbines, they would have no idea what you are talking about in regard to rate increases/changes.
Residential insurance rates are a valid consideration, and one that ought to be examined, especially by those homeowners who will be directly affected by the turbines, which will include living within the blade throw, ice throw, fire, lightning, environmental spill hazards, etc. of a commercial wind turbine.
Since this setback issue is new for the insurance companies, actuaries for the insurance companies will be figuring out the exposure to commercial wind turbines only after they are installed in your neighborhoods.
As the state moves forward, Massachusetts residents within the commercial wind turbine zone should be advised how to insure against a commercial wind turbine and tower.
Frank Haggerty
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