How many people work inside an industrial wind turbine? How long do the construction jobs last post-project? This is industrialization of a vast area of land without many sustainable local jobs. Wind energy development on such a large scale will certainly seal the fate for the area. It is a life sentence which defines the land use for decades.

Keep an open mind. The St. Lawrence River is a huge asset Hammond holds which continues to bring new people in and keeps them here for generations. The river brings great value to Hammond and the north country by providing a fertile tax base for county, town, school and the services offered to the community. It must be preserved. It is a quality of the area that continues to spark positive future development in Hammond and brings outside dollars in.

The tourism value of the St. Lawrence River is far beyond that of any wind farm. Would you migrate north from Florida just to see an industrial wind farm? Would you move to Hammond and build a home just to get as close to an industrial wind farm as possible?

Do not underestimate the economy that is here and why it is here. Homes are built and maintained by the hands of local people, employed by local construction companies, who purchased materials from local building supplies. All the people involved in this "future development" generally reside in the area, enroll their children into our local schools and support local businesses that create sustainable jobs. There are no negatives about it. This is growth that keeps people here, brings new families in and lasts for generations.

How many people work inside an industrial wind turbine? How long do the construction jobs last post-project? This is industrialization of a vast area of land without many sustainable local jobs. Wind energy development on such a large scale will certainly seal the fate for the area. It is a life sentence which defines the land use for decades.

Considering the project size and extent to which the proposed law allows industrialization, I believe there will be an adverse economic impact on our area after the project. Properties neighboring the wind farm will be devalued, and owners of such properties will also be prohibited the right to safely develop their property as they see fit. Essentially these particular landowners could be forced to build future residential structures closer in proximity to industrial wind turbines than what is deemed safe by any local law citing a residential setback.

A safe residential setback should be the minimum setback from a property line. If a law reads any differently, we are defining the land use and restricting safe future development of one's property not leasing to an energy company. Taxpayers leasing to energy companies should be able to do what they want with their land so long as it doesn't define what the neighboring taxpayers can safely do with theirs.

Web link: http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/2009020...