SAVOY -- Construction for the wind turbine farm on West Hill could begin this summer if all goes according to plan.

At the Selectmen's meeting on Tuesday night, Minuteman Wind LLC president Don McCauley told the board he hopes to begin preparation construction on roads and at the site by this summer or fall and hopes the five 425-foot turbines will be online by mid 2010, putting out 12.5 megawatts of clean electricity.

McCauley said that while the Zoning Board of Appeals reviews the company's special permit application, the company is focusing on preparations for construction.

"Right now, our primary concern is access to the site," he said. "We're discussing easements with private land owners now on where to widen the roads. The route we're looking at now is coming up Route 8A and then to Rt. 116 and from there to Upper Loop Road, Upper Loop to Chapel Road and Chapel to Briar Road. The blades being transported are half the length of a football field so they are quite large and will need to be maneuvered carefully."

McCauley said the company is waiting for the selection of an independent engineer to review the condition of the town's roads and determine what needs to be improved prior to the start of construction.

"They seem a little worse this time of year, but we will be assessing the condition soon," he said. "The condition of the roads is such that we will need to work together in advance of the project to make sure the roads are improved to handle the hundreds of trips that will be needed."

Selectman Scott Koczela questioned the ease of access to the site compared to other turbine placements, and McCauley admitted it was one of the more challenging they had seen.

Selectman John Tynan questioned if the company had thought about using helicopters to transport material to the site.

"We're sticking to ground transport for right now," McCauley said. "The objective is to use the roads. All the issues are surmountable, but they will all require work."

McCauley said another big issue for the company is getting a pilot agreement in place to determine how the town would be compensated for having the wind farm in their town. A year ago, the company and the town estimated that the project would bring in roughly $220,00 a year using a payment in lieu of taxes arrangement.

"The project, we believe, will be a significant source of revenue to the town," he said. "What's important for the project and the town is getting an agreement in place that takes away the uncertainty of different tax valuations and assessment battles that could come to pass ... If there's one thing these projects hate, it's uncertainty."

Tynan asked what the predictability of costs was for the project. McCauley said the cost of the turbines had gone up last year but have been dropping recently. He added that the cost for materials like cement and building materials was down, but that connection costs to connect to the power grid were going up.

Koczela asked what kind of information the company would be providing at the ZBA's April 10 meeting at the fire station.

"We'll be there to answer any questions on the permit application, but I think the application is pretty comprehensive," McCauley said. "Anything that is requested of us ahead of time, we will bring, but I think the project has been well described."