Michael S. McCann CRA was one of about 20 invited reviewers to provide comments to Ben Hoen, Ryan Wiser et.al. in reference to the LBNL study which evaluated wind farm impacts on residential property values. Mr. McCann's comments on the preliminary and final releases of the LBNL study can be accessed by selecting the links at the bottom of this page. An excerpt of Mr. McCann's comments is shown below taken from his most recent comments to Hoen/Wiser on the final study report released in December 2009. Windaction.org wishes to thank Mr. McCann for permitting us to post his documents here.

Excerpt:

The Report omitted the fact that in the written review of the Draft Report, I cited to you in particular as my opinion basis for value impact 40 sales that demonstrate on their face a 25% lower value of homes in close proximity to the Mendota Hills turbines.

The two (2) "sales" you DO attribute to McCann (Report Table 1, page 9) as my opinion basis are, in reality, (pre-draft Report) examples I provided of inordinately long and ongoing marketing times, at otherwise market-based asking prices.

The deterrent to sale of the homes directly attributable to the wind farm project is well understood by the local Realtor who had the listings and who, at the time of my communication with you, had reported to me the consistent rejection rationale of over 100 otherwise interested would-be buyers and their agents. Interest that evaporated once potential buyers visited the properties and saw the nearby and surrounding turbines.

The Report also misstated an important fact: The two (2) homes never actually sold, although the text of the Report implies it was just a long marketing time BEFORE they sold. (See Report page 7, 2nd paragraph) Clearly, this error distorts the market reaction indicated by the actual facts.

Such a stigma deterrent to the sale of homes, while not perhaps statistically significant or measurable via the methodology employed and data utilized in your study, is entirely significant to an owner unable to reasonably convert their home equity to cash. That real-world experience is virtually mute and is mischaracterized in the Report.

As demonstrated by the two (2) homes, if one was unable to sell their home or even elicit an offer at any price, despite reducing the asking price by 10%, 20% or more from the going in basis and/or current market rates, and if the reason for the loss of reasonable liquidity is isolated as a single factor or influence, then that impact is many things, but "insignificant" is not the phrase that comes to mind.

And while marketing experience for the two (2) homes is only part of the basis for opinions I have developed thus far, the Report is inaccurate since I disclosed the 40 recorded, closed sale basis to you (see McCann review letter) and that is not mentioned in the Report on Table 1, where other such outside input is shown.

Download File(s):
MSM review of DRAFT Hoen study re wind farm impact on property values (1).pdf (43.65 kB)
McCann Appraisal LLC REVIEW OF LBNL WIND FARM PROPERTY VAL..pdf (1.16 MB)