Falmouth town meeting backs select board denial of wind developer

On Monday night, April 10, Falmouth Town Meeting voted down Article 15, a citizens' petition that would have reversed a Select Board vote to deny offshore wind developer SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC access to public lands in Falmouth Heights for further soil testing and engineering studies.

The discussion carried on for an hour and a half, eating up the second half of the first night of Town Meeting in the Lawrence School auditorium. It ended in a 116-to-72 vote against the article. 

Rosemary Dreger Carey and Matthew C. Patrick presented on behalf of the article's seven authors. Mr. Patrick said the soil testing would likely look like 18-by-18-inch holes dug two to four feet deep, which could be easily covered again and not impact traffic.

Ms. Carey and Mr. Patrick stressed the article only asks the select board to approve testing and then delved into the project's potential benefits to the town and the planet as well as the risks the town faces as a coastal community.

“Falmouth is on the front lines of climate change,” Mr. Patrick said. “These are not arbitrary goals. Our town has to make a decision based on science.”

Select board chairwoman Nancy R. Taylor and member Douglas C. Brown staunchly defended the vote, citing communication failures between the developer and the town.

“We simply want them to partner with us,” Ms. Taylor said.

Mr. Brown added that if Town Meeting did not back the board’s vote, the state might use it as leverage to override the town in the permitting process for SouthCoast’s proposed project.

Supporters stressed that approving Article 15 is not a green light for the project. Opponents begged to differ, saying even one small step in favor of the project would lead down a slippery slope.

Richard K. Latimer, from Precinct One, pointed out that coastal roads already flood during storms and action is necessary. He called the board’s vote a “real embarrassment for the town” and opponents of SouthCoast’s project "NIMBY," which means "not in my backyard," saying they seek out any reason to not support the project.

“What they’re really concerned with is their own property values,” Mr. Latimer said.

Daniel H. Shearer, from Precinct Six, referred to his experience in public meetings with SouthCoast representatives in which those representatives did not answer questions from locals, either sufficiently or at all. He said the select board voted to deny SouthCoast Wind local property access, in part, to strong-arm the company into improving its relationship with the town.

Resident Moira Powers lives near where the proposed substation for the project would be built and said the project is too large for a town like Falmouth. She added there is nothing wrong with property owners not wanting their home values to decrease.

“It’s not fair to put some people in town in that position,” she said.

Some members reminded Town Meeting of future generations and the climate problem heaved on them. “What will we tell our children if we do nothing about climate change?” Michael Stone, from Precinct Six, asked.

Falmouth Heights-Maravista Neighborhood Association president David Buzanoski said while the article does not refer specifically to SouthCoast Wind, it is nevertheless a “spiteful” response to the select board's denial. 

Richard H. Duby, from Precinct Six, argued the article is only about data, which he said there is no harm in gathering and is part of the proverbial scientific process.

“We have to begin here,” he said.

Charlotte Harris, from Precinct Five, said a vote in favor of Article 15 would weaken the select board’s negotiating position with SouthCoast Wind or any other offshore wind developer.

Finance Committee member Jason Cullinane called the question, and moderator David T. Vieira said the no’s won the day in a voice vote. Mr. Patrick asked for a counted vote, and Article 15 was voted down 116 to 72.