Couple in Howard Denied Request to Have A Statement on Windfarms Read into Minutes of Meeting
WLEA|Eric and Kyle Hosmer, Hornell|May 11, 2006
Eric and Kyle Hosmer of Howard address the Howard Town Board meeting Wednesday night and asked that a letter they read to the board be placed in the official minutes. The request was denied for the time being. As a courtesy, we are printing portions of that letter here.
Editor's Note: The complete letter follows.
Eric and Kyle Hosmer of Howard address the Howard Town Board meeting Wednesday night and asked that a letter they read to the board be placed in the official minutes. The request was denied for the time being. As a courtesy, we are printing portions of that letter here.
Editor's Note: The complete letter follows.
About four weeks ago, we were approached by a neighbor in regards to wind turbines being built in Howard, NY. We had noticed the radio towers at the top of our hill and heard something about wind turbines, but did not really understand what could possibly happen in the very near future to the hills where we bought our first home and plan to raise our children. On many occasions we have discussed the fact that we would like to spend the rest of our lives on this hill, but our plans did not include being surrounded by wind turbines. Since that day, we have been very attentive to meetings in the area and interviews done on radio regarding this issue. We began surfing the web and making contacts with people who had a much better understanding of the benefits verses costs of wind farms. Don’t get us wrong, we are not against green energy, but truly believe there is an appropriate place for it, and that it shouldn’t dash the dreams of people by affecting their quality of life, potentially ... more [truncated due to possible copyright]
About four weeks ago, we were approached by a neighbor in regards to wind turbines being built in Howard, NY. We had noticed the radio towers at the top of our hill and heard something about wind turbines, but did not really understand what could possibly happen in the very near future to the hills where we bought our first home and plan to raise our children. On many occasions we have discussed the fact that we would like to spend the rest of our lives on this hill, but our plans did not include being surrounded by wind turbines. Since that day, we have been very attentive to meetings in the area and interviews done on radio regarding this issue. We began surfing the web and making contacts with people who had a much better understanding of the benefits verses costs of wind farms. Don’t get us wrong, we are not against green energy, but truly believe there is an appropriate place for it, and that it shouldn’t dash the dreams of people by affecting their quality of life, potentially devaluing their property and causing potential health issues, etc.
* Increased noise and loss of peace
* Flicker-factor (which has been shown to cause migraine headaches, and trigger epileptic seizures, even in those unaware of their condition.)
* Increased traffic and lack of funding for road maintenance (we have two young children, and specifically moved to this area so that we would not have to worry about them near a busy road.) How well and how often will our roads be maintained?
* Loss of natural beauty to our area
* Loss of property value (after visiting Fenner, we would never deliberately purchase a home surrounded by wind turbines.)
* Will there be interference to radio, television, cell phones, etc?
* What, if any, financial gain will there be to our community? Who will profit from the turbines? The wind power companies? A few landowners, while their neighbors suffer the consequences?
* Who will use the energy? Steuben Rural Electric currently offers a lower rate than the wind companies will be able to provide.
* If it is determined that the addition of wind turbines is beneficial for the whole of the community, what safeguards will be put in place to protect those living near the turbines?
-How far from a residence or property line is reasonable? 1000 feet from a residence, and 400 feet from a property line is simply too close.
-Will any areas be off limits for the construction of towers?
-Will there be limits as to what hours of the day the sites can be worked on?
-How quickly will a service call be made on a turbine after a complaint is received? Will residents be well informed on how to make complaints? What about new residents?
-What happens if contracts are sold to another company, as they were in Fenner? Will established safeguards continue to exist?
-What responsibility is placed on the Town of Howard, the energy companies, or leaseholders if neighboring properties are devalued or unable to be sold? How long will they be held responsible?
-What if the energy company decides to abandon the turbines? Will they be removed? How will this be paid for? If money is in escrow for this, will the amount increase with inflation, or will our tax dollars pay for their removal? Or, worse yet, will these unused turbines simply stand?
-Will there be a limit on the size of the turbines, now and in the future?
-Will personal property be protected? (If roads need to be widened, will we lose the beautiful lilac bushes at the front of our property?)
-Will non-resident leases be allowed? (If you are not willing to live under a turbine yourself, should you be allowed to have one erected over a neighboring resident’s home?)
-Will the turbines be fenced in to protect people from mechanical issues, ice throws, etc? Are there other dangers to be considered?