Dan MacLure of Century 21 Farm and Forest has shown Don and Shirley Nelson's farm at the base of Lowell Mountain for some time. It is listed at $1.5 million. At that price, for land on the historic Bailey-Hazen Road with sweeping views, it should have sold by now, MacLure said Thursday evening. Instead, prospective buyers look, but when they learn that wind turbines are likely on the Lowell ridge line, they do not buy it, MacLure said.
Dan MacLure of Century 21 Farm and Forest has shown Don and Shirley Nelson's farm at the base of Lowell Mountain for some time. It is listed at $1.5 million. At that price, for land on the historic Bailey-Hazen Road with sweeping views, it should have sold by now, MacLure said Thursday evening. Instead, prospective buyers look, but when they learn that wind turbines are likely on the Lowell ridge line, they do not buy it, MacLure said.
Lowell -- Dan MacLure of Century 21 Farm and Forest has shown Don and Shirley Nelson's farm at the base of Lowell Mountain for some time.
It is listed at $1.5 million. At that price, for land on the historic Bailey-Hazen Road with sweeping views, it should have sold by now, MacLure said Thursday evening.
Instead, prospective buyers look, but when they learn that wind turbines are likely on the Lowell ridge line, they do not buy it, MacLure said.
MacLure was one of four speakers at the Lowell Graded School Thursday evening who criticized wind-generation projects before about 100 people.
Lowell will vote March 2 by Australian ballot about whether to approve Green Mountain Power's Kingdom Community Wind project of 16 to 24 wind …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]Lowell -- Dan MacLure of Century 21 Farm and Forest has shown Don and Shirley Nelson's farm at the base of Lowell Mountain for some time.
It is listed at $1.5 million. At that price, for land on the historic Bailey-Hazen Road with sweeping views, it should have sold by now, MacLure said Thursday evening.
Instead, prospective buyers look, but when they learn that wind turbines are likely on the Lowell ridge line, they do not buy it, MacLure said.
MacLure was one of four speakers at the Lowell Graded School Thursday evening who criticized wind-generation projects before about 100 people.
Lowell will vote March 2 by Australian ballot about whether to approve Green Mountain Power's Kingdom Community Wind project of 16 to 24 wind turbines.
The Nelson farm is in a unique location, MacLure said. "I don't know another farm that offers these views."
The price is comparable to others, he said, and listed some recent million-dollar-plus sales.
"I have shown this many times," MacLure said. "To see the enthusiasm disappear when they hear about wind... Since the talk of wind farms here, I have had many people ask me not to show any property near wind farms."
"Don't forget your friends and neighbors," he said. "Don't throw them under the bus."
Speaker Lisa Linowes said the U.S. Department of Energy want to generate 20 percent of the nation's energy through wind by 2030, citing a DOE report. The federal government is supporting wind power although it is not reliable or consistent, she said.
Developers like wind because it is relatively cheap and quick to install, Linowes said, yet wind contracts cost more than those from gas or coal plants.
She said it takes up a lot of land for a relatively small amount of electricity generation compared to other types of power plants.
Wind generated in Lowell will serve Boston and need big wind power lines, she said.
On Friday, Dorothy Schnure of GMP responded to Linowes' comments, saying that Lowell electricity will be used by Vermont customers and requires only a new line down the mountain.
Linowes also decried the environmental impact of wind projects in general, especially the Coos County, N.H., project called Granite Reliable Power. That project needs 33 miles of mountain road and will fill 13 acres of wetlands. It has been approved by regulators but is being appealed.
Green Mountain Power and Central Vermont Public Service announced this week they have contracts to buy electricity from the Coos County project.
Linowes said she did not know much about how the Lowell project is designed and how it compared to that in Coos County. But she said Lowell should not vote before details about the number of turbines and location of the turbines are available. GMP is waiting for test data to determine that. Regulators have approved the test towers but said they cannot go up until Lowell votes.
"You don't have enough information. Once it goes to the Public Service Board, they will approve it and it will be built," Linowes said.
Dr. Stanley Shapiro, with Rutland Medical Center, has fought wind projects. Repetitive wind turbine noise can disturb sleep and lead to heart and other ailments, he said.
He cited a study being done at the Mars Hill wind project in Maine where some people living less than a half-mile of the turbines reported an increase in illnesses.
Schnure said the Mars Hill study looked at people who live much closer to the turbines than the closest homes in Lowell.
Noise impacts need to be studied before more projects are approved, Shapiro said.
One person said the Mars Hill wind project was placed too close to homes.
Justin Lindholm of Mendon spoke about the wind project in Lempster, N.H., where he has property. He warned the land on Lowell Mountain will eventually be posted after people take potshots at the wind turbines.
The Lowell wind project will look quite different, strung along the ridge line, than the ones tucked into the folded top of Lempster's mountain, he said.
The Lowell Board of Selectmen is required to conduct a public information meeting about the wind vote. That meeting is 7 p.m. Thursday at the school.