CV moratorium is still possible

Garrettson said there was apparently a misunderstanding about his comments in regard to a moratorium during the town board's meeting last week.

Some people in the audience believed he said he had been told by Otsego 2000 director Martha Frey that this was not the time for the town to enact a moratorium.

Garrettson explained that his position is to see how Otsego 2000's effort to establish a state-wide moratorium on wide turbine siting progresses.

"If she [Frey] got results, I wouldn't have to," he said, adding that he knows as well as anyone what Otsego 2000's position is.

"We clearly feel there needs to be a state-wide moratorium and siting guidelines established," Frey said Tuesday. "We have not changed our position."

Frey said she had spoken with Garretson and if Cherry Valley chose to establish a moratorium of its own, Otsego 2000 would support it.

Additionally, Garretson pointed to the fact the town is currently working on a revision of its compressive/master plan and when it is complete it may offer some direction for the town.

"After it is place, we might be tightening up some restrictions," he said.

Garrettson said Reunion Power plans to erect two more meteorological towers on East Hill to collect more wind data and he doesn't expect a site plan application for the wind farm very soon.

"I don't picture anything coming our way in the near future," he said. "But if I feel we're being pushed faster than we can afford to be, we can slow it down."

The supervisor said if there is to be a moratorium until siting guidelines can be established, he would prefer it to be state-wide. That way, he said, it would create a level playing field for developers and municipalities across the state.

"There needs to be some organization to this wind development," he said.