BATH - A six-month moratorium on commercial wind development is now in place in the town of Bath, after the town council voted Monday night in favor of the temporary ban.

The moratorium was one of a number of items before the board, including an update on the joint salt barn project between the town and village of Bath.

The moratorium may also be extended up to an additional six months if needed, said Bath Town Supervisor Frederick Muller.

The vote by the town board followed a public hearing during which two town residents presented opposing views on the potential of noisy wind turbines.

Clesson Cook told the board one of his relatives supervises a wind project. The unidentified relative assured Cook the turbines are not capable of producing any noise louder than a slight "swish, swish," he said.

In response to Cook's comments, James Arthur said he has attended meetings in other towns and heard many complaints and reports about noise problems.

The ban is precautionary since there are no known plans by an energy company to build a commercial wind farm in the town.

The moratorium prevents the construction of "industrial" wind towers or related facilities until a local wind law is adopted by the board. Smaller, residential wind turbines may be constructed during the ban, at the request of Councilman William Glossick.

The ban allows a three-person committee time to study what other municipalities have done to regulate electricity generating wind turbines. The committee will eventually propose guidelines for Bath.

Any construction regulations proposed by the committee also would be subject to a public hearing, before being passed into law.

A number of industrial wind projects are in various stages of development in the western portion of Steuben County and one wind farm is currently operating in the town of Cohocton.

Wind-related issues in Cohocton and Prattsburgh this year led the Bath town board to look at enacting regulations in the event the town is considered as a possible site for a wind farm in the future, according to Muller.

Muller, Glossick and council members Albert Burns and Robin Lattimer voted for the moratorium. Councilman Dean Kropp was absent.

In other action, Town Highway Superintendent Patrick Muller told the board bids on constructing the $400,000 salt barn will be awarded Aug. 17. Preliminary work on the site

The 9,600 square-foot storage barn is a combined effort between the town, village and Bath Central School district and will be largely paid for through grants totaling $276,000. The village will pay 20 percent of any remaining costs, with the town picking up 80 percent. The school's application provided more state funds for the project.

Town Supervisor Fred Muller said the two municipal highway departments will do as much of the work as possible, in order to reduce the local share.