Wind farm meeting addresses residents' concerns
The Chronicle|Carly Nairn|December 4, 2009
A public meeting Wednesday evening about a proposed $230 million wind farm in the Willapa Hills of West Lewis and East Pacific counties brought a crowd of about 50 people with concerns and questions about the development. The Coyote Crest Wind Park is a project by the EverPower Wind Holdings Company Inc. on land leased by Weyerhaeuser's McDonald tree farm.
A public meeting Wednesday evening about a proposed $230 million wind farm in the Willapa Hills of West Lewis and East Pacific counties brought a crowd of about 50 people with concerns and questions about the development. The Coyote Crest Wind Park is a project by the EverPower Wind Holdings Company Inc. on land leased by Weyerhaeuser's McDonald tree farm.
A public meeting Wednesday evening about a proposed $230 million wind farm in the Willapa Hills of West Lewis and East Pacific counties brought a crowd of about 50 people with concerns and questions about the development.
The Coyote Crest Wind Park is a project by the EverPower Wind Holdings Company Inc. on land leased by Weyerhaeuser's McDonald tree farm. The project will include 50 wind turbine generators producing renewable energy for about 25,000 Northwest homes.
Most of those in attendance were residents from Pe Ell and Doty, the closest towns near where the wind park will be located,
David McClain, the vice president of EverPower, was also there to discuss the …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]A public meeting Wednesday evening about a proposed $230 million wind farm in the Willapa Hills of West Lewis and East Pacific counties brought a crowd of about 50 people with concerns and questions about the development.
The Coyote Crest Wind Park is a project by the EverPower Wind Holdings Company Inc. on land leased by Weyerhaeuser's McDonald tree farm. The project will include 50 wind turbine generators producing renewable energy for about 25,000 Northwest homes.
Most of those in attendance were residents from Pe Ell and Doty, the closest towns near where the wind park will be located,
David McClain, the vice president of EverPower, was also there to discuss the improvements that will be made to the roads leading up to the wind farm and about the process of finishing the state environmental impact statement, a necessary step in developing the 3,755-acre property.
Residents questioned the exact location of the project, where the access road for materials and construction will be, and concerns about the biology of the land.
County note takers were present to record residents' comments, according to McClain.
McClain said that improvements to the access road will include widening the shoulders to 40 feet and improving the surface. Currently the Coyote Crest Road is a privately-owned single-lane gravel road with a common driveway for four to five residents. The improvements are primarily for material trucks to gain access to the site.
He hopes for the project to start generating electricity by mid-2012. When finished it will employ about 23 workers and contribute about $2 million in annual property taxes.
The EIS will determine the effects on biology of developing the site, including birds and other wildlife.
The most visible site of the wind park will be off Stevens Road and Highway 6 near Doty, McClain said.
Source:A public meeting Wednesday …