About 20 of them turned out Monday at the selectmen's meeting to protest the proposed municipal wind turbine article that will be on the town meeting warrant in May. ...Gail Hoffman of Dyer Prence Road presented the selectmen a poster board filled with photos of Rock Harbor. "I am not opposed to green energy," but she wants Rock Harbor designated as a "very special place," she said. "This area is a treasure for the town. This is the last remaining piece of old Cape Cod," said Hoffman, and urged them to "proceed with caution" with any proposed changes.

EASTHAM - About 20 of them turned out Monday at the selectmen's meeting to protest the proposed municipal wind turbine article that will be on the town meeting warrant in May. If approved it would permit municipal turbines up to 250 feet high to be built on town-owned land at Rock Harbor, and at the transfer station, and the DPW lot if a separate rezoning article is approved by voters.

Gail Hoffman of Dyer Prence Road presented the selectmen a poster board filled with photos of Rock Harbor. "I am not opposed to green energy," but she wants Rock Harbor designated as a "very special place," she said. "This area is a treasure for the town. This is the last remaining piece of old Cape Cod," said Hoffman, and urged them to "proceed with caution" with any proposed changes.

Leslie-Ann Morse, chairman of the planning board, presented the proposed articles drafted by the planning board to selectmen for inclusion on the town meeting warrant.

Selectwoman Carol Martin said she was concerned to read in The Cape Codder the remarks of Howard Sandler of the planning board, regarding his concern that the board of selectmen was not "straight with our neighbors" about rezoning land for potential placement of wind turbines.

She was also concerned about Sandler's comment that the planning board prepared its articles at the request of the board of selectmen. "We as a board never discussed this issue," she said. "If individual selectmen expressed an interest, it did not come from the entire board."

Martin said the wording of the proposed bylaws did not point out the connection between zoning changes and the ability to place municipal wind turbines on the rezoned areas. "The wording made it seem fairly innocuous," she said. "I think people did not understand that, and now they want to make their views known."

Selectman Martin McDonald, who was criticized by some abutters to Rock Harbor for describing that area, with its public parking lot, as not very attractive, said, "We have no intention at the moment to put wind turbines anywhere. There are zones where turbines could be put, but that's not the only purpose of rezoning - to put wind turbines there."

Selectwoman Linda Burt, chairwoman of the board, asked Morse if rezoning the transfer station to industrial use would decrease the values of nearby properties.

"No," Morse said, adding, "they are already decreased because they are near the dump."

Paul Lothrop told the Rock Harbor abutters to go to town meeting to vote down these articles that "they are trying to shove down your throat." Addressing the selectmen, he said, "You guys are trying to hoodwink us on wind turbines, you're trying to slip one in on us and I think the people should take you to task."

McDonald said, "If you object and say you don't want turbines anywhere in town, you can vote ‘no.'"

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