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Discussion was heated among residents in attendance, with both supporters and challengers to the proposal voicing their opinions. Ultimately, however, the 6-2 vote in favor of the MET tower left many residents at the meeting feeling their thoughts on the matter were not seriously considered by the board.
The next step is for Roxbury Latin to go in front of the Boston Zoning Board of Appeals to gain approval for permits to erect the temporary tower due to the tower's height, among possible other requirements. Based upon what is submitted to the city, if variances were needed, there would be another community meeting, said Chris Tracy, West Roxbury coordinator of Neighborhood Services.
Roxbury Latin has not submitted plans to the city as of the Transcript's deadline.
"I think their vote was disheartening to a lot of us," said a Miles Standish Road resident who asked to remain anonymous. "Who are they representing? I think the real concern here is what is this going to lead to? What are we going to be stuck with in two to three years?"
The decision was made after a presentation by Rick Dower, chairman of the science department at Roxbury Latin, who stressed no further action on the wind turbine can and will be taken until this feasibility study is completed - a project he estimated would take anywhere from a year to 18 months. The purpose of the temporary tower is to gather wind data of the surrounding area, and use these measurements to determine if a wind turbine would be a realistic or feasible new source of energy for the school.
A West Roxbury resident wanted to do the same for Millennium Park and attempted a fellow study last year. That project has not taken off and is currently stagnant, if not dead in the water.
"The only way to know [the feasibility of a wind turbine] is to put up a tower and measure the wind at various heights for a year or so," Dower said. "If it is sufficient wind to justify the wind turbine, a whole new meeting an approval process would take place."
The MET tower will use small spinning anemometer cups at 30-, 45- and 60 meters high, to measure the wind speed and direction on the site. The tower will be placed somewhere on an elevated parcel of land near the back of Rappaport Field, Dower said, though the precise location has yet to be determined.
The tower's impact on residents in the surrounding neighborhoods was the main source of contention at the Monday night meeting, with many residents speaking out against the proposal in fear of the auditory and visual disturbances the device could cause. Dower argued the impact caused by the MET tower would be minimal, with only a few sites at street level even capable of seeing the tower through the surrounding trees, and the anemometer cups making minimal to no noise while functioning.
Residents were more concerned with what allowing the MET tower could lead to for the neighborhood - the possibility of a wind turbine at its greatest 250 feet high with three 77-foot propellers that would generate significantly more noise than the preliminary tower.
"I appreciate that this [MET tower] is just to look into the feasibility, but what's the point if at the end of the day there's still the noise factor and the fact that I certainly won't ever want to see those giant propellers in my neighborhood," said an abutter to the project.
The school provided multiple reasons for wanting to even look into the possibility of a wind turbine, citing electrical savings, environmental benefits and educational opportunities for students all as major driving factors behind the project.
"The school has a real commitment to keep its tuition as low as possible and if we can reduce electrical costs, so much the better," Dower said, acknowledging that the school spends roughly $180,000 on electricity each year.
There were a few residents in the audience that supported the initiative for its forward thinking and energy-saving efforts.
"The entire world has issues with everything from global warming to people fighting for oil in Afghanistan - I would be ecstatic to live next to this tower," said one resident. "I don't think people are looking at the bigger picture here - what are our children and grandchildren going to do for energy in the years to come?"
Most in attendance, however, were not interested in having this experimentation going on in their own backyards.
"Next thing you know, we're Cape Wind in West Roxbury," said another resident. "We're allowing something we don't need - and you're asking too much of the neighborhood that has welcomed you for years."
No decisions can be made regarding the placement of a wind turbine at the site until the MET Tower feasibility study is completed. The school will ultimately need approval from the Boston Redevelopment Authority before moving forward with the project.
And the Gordon Woods project...
Ed O'Donnell from the Mayo Group came to the meeting to update the community on the status of the Gordon Woods project. According to O'Donnell, the BRA granted final approval for the project last month.
The new specs detailed Monday show a significant drop in the size of the condominium development, with the number of buildings decreasing from four to two, the number of units decreasing from 49 to 42 and the square footage of the units decreasing from 61,000 square feet to 50,103 square feet. The Mayo Group plans to apply for a demolition permit this week, and hopes to have the current standing building razed by the next month. If foundations go into the ground by Thanksgiving, O'Donnell estimated the condos could be done and ready for sale by June.
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