Joseph Calderone, who is mounting a write-in campaign for town supervisor, said, “The wind turbine law doesn’t meet the smell test economically, scientifically, politically and, most importantly, personally. Of the two town halls (meetings) I have attended, not one person has walked up to the microphone and extolled the virtues of wind, the law or the town’s plans for the community.”

Zoning/Planning New York

Allegany residents were assured by the Allegany Town Board at Tuesday’s meeting that the board is reviewing a recommendation to rescind the wind energy overlay district in the Chipmonk Road area.

Zoning/Planning New York

The Ulster County Planning Department has recommended the town update its zoning before granting permission to actor Judd Hirsch to build a 176-foot-high wind turbine on his Yeagerville Road property. ...Because Denning’s zoning law does not mention wind turbines, they could be used either in all or none of the town.

Zoning/Planning New York

Councilor Nancy Montgomery said she senses “the region is wanting to embrace this clean energy. But we have to make sure we can deal with all the challenges we’re going to have to face.” The town must devise a policy and “this is a good way to do it, so we do it right,” she said.

Zoning/Planning New York

Re-elected Tuesday as Richfield Town Supervisor, Fran Enjem said Friday that he has serious reservations with an agreement offered by the developers of a planned wind farm project, saying it fails to adequately protect his community. Enjem’s resistance to the host agreement is one of two last remaining obstacles facing the Monticello Hills wind farm.

Zoning/Planning New York

“BP has had our town twisting in the winds of uncertainty since 2006. Please try to provide us with some relief by insisting that an applicant presuming to be moving forward under Article X not be permitted to circle over a town indefinitely,” town officials said in their letter Friday. BP Wind Energy has become increasingly uncommunicative.

Zoning/Planning New York

"Wind turbines are an allowable use under the new zoning" code adopted in 2011, Dee observed in opening the hearing. However, after adoption of the code, "there were a lot of questions raised." He said the Town Board intends to revisit the issue and update the zoning law as needed, a view echoed by Town Board Member John Van Tassel, liaison to the ZBA.

Noise Zoning/Planning New York

The law, which states that large wind energy facilities could not be constructed within town limits, would allow for structures upward of 85 feet tall on parcels of two acres, and 5-acre plots could get a 120-feet-tall turbine.

Zoning/Planning New York

The Richfield Town Planning Board, for the second time in two years, voted Monday night to permit the six-turbine Monticello Hills wind farm to be constructed on the western edge of the town - but the validity of the vote was immediately questioned by Town Supervisor Fran Enjem.

Zoning/Planning New York

The town of Madison is about halfway through the process of creating a new windmill law. Analysis of the work of a committee that re-tooled an existing windpower facilities law was conducted in February. Since then, the plan has been reviewed by the town planning board.

Zoning/Planning New York

The appeal of the Herkimer County Supreme Court's ruling upholding the Town of Litchfield's ban on industrial wind turbines has been withdrawn. That means the lawsuit against the town is over and the town's law banning industrial wind turbines stands.

Zoning/Planning New York

The Town Board voted Tuesday night to impose a 128-day moratorium on applications and permits for wind turbines. The delay is designed to provide the town time to establish regulations on several aspects, including noise, size, height, zoning and use.

Zoning/Planning New York

Revisions to Pomfret's 2007 local law regarding non-commercial small wind towers are under way. Wind energy conversion systems, or WECS, were a topic of discussion at a recent town board workshop meeting.

Zoning/Planning New York

Before the appearance of rooftop windmills and front yard solar panels affects the views in Poughkeepsie, the Town Board wants to call a timeout on their installation. The proposed eight-month moratorium will give the board time to study how best to regulate the green power energy equipment.

Zoning/Planning New York

Top Iberdrola executives seemed largely ignorant of American regulatory requirements. Auditors said they must "adjust more to business culture here, as opposed to expect U.S. stakeholders to accommodate themselves to Spanish custom and practice." Top executives wouldn't answer auditors' questions, wouldn't allow board members to be interviewed and argued against disclosing information, making arguments that auditors described as "invalid" and "very peculiar."

Energy Policy General Zoning/Planning New York

After a heated public debate over setbacks and noise limits, Lyme's Town Council adopted today a new set of rules that would "zone out" wind farms.

Zoning/Planning New York

Grounded on a recent survey that found that a majority of Lyme residents were against wind energy development, the proposed law requires a half-mile turbine setback from roads, town boundaries and from non-participating property lines.

Zoning/Planning New York

Town officials say restrictions are needed because Cape Vincent is a proposed site for a $300 million BP Wind Energy farm and town officials worry the company may try to go above them, to the state, to get their way.

Zoning/Planning New York

In its own comments to the PSC on Article X, BP said that any override of local laws should be provided by the state siting board early in the process and that the "local community should bear the burden of proof to demonstrate why the more restrictive requirements are appropriate."

Zoning/Planning New York

Tyksinski vehemently protested the inclusion of the large commercial windmills. "I've been up close to these things and they're annoying. I've got to be honest with you," he said. "You're creating, in my opinion, a hazard for the community with very little efficiency. ... I think these things are noisy, they're cumbersome - personally, I think they're ugly."

Zoning/Planning New York