Post by L Roebuck on Feb 13, 2006 9:41:26 GMT -5
Southern Vermont
Manchester split on wind turbines
February 13, 2006
By Andrew McKeever Herald Staff
MANCHESTER — A proposal to place wind turbines atop Mount Equinox still has a way to go before winning over local skeptics.
In a public forum held Saturday, about 100 residents voted with wireless keypads indicating they were split between supporting the measure, opposing it and supporting it under the right circumstances.
Those opposed to erecting five 390-foot tall turbines on Little Equinox totaled 32 percent compared to 27 percent who said they supported it.
Another 20 percent said they could support it depending on the conditions attached to the development.
The results shouldn't be taken as a final verdict, local town leaders said.
Judging by the results of the polling, opposition to the wind turbine proposal advanced by Endless Energy Corp. of Yarmouth, Maine, is strongest in Manchester Village, the nearest point in town to the proposed site. Their residents turned out in force at the meeting, said Manchester Town Manager Peter Webster.
"I wasn't surprised by the level of opposition," Webster said. "Generally people opposed to something will come out in greater numbers."
Town and village voters will weigh in through a nonbinding referendum at Town Meeting on March 7 with an article that will ask them if they support the town taking a position on the proposal if it goes before the state's Public Service Board for approval.
That vote should be more representative of what the broader Manchester community thinks, Webster said.
The forums gave backers and opponents of the proposal a chance to air concerns and ask questions to a panel of experts. Saturday's forum was the final of a series of six organized through a partnership between the town and the Orton Family Foundation.
One way the proposal could garner more local support is through solid evidence that Manchester would see some direct benefit from the plan, several participants said.
Harley Lee, the president and Founder of Endless Energy, announced he was prepared to deposit $600,000 into the town's coffers over a 20-year period to help offset the visual impact of the turbines on one the region's best-known ridgelines, considered by many an important asset for the area's tourist industry.
Webster said that was a step in the right direction, but he would prefer a deal that gave the town a percentage of the profits from the enterprise.
Endless Energy has a contract to supply the Burlington Electric Department with 7 percent of its electricity needs for 20 years if it gets state approval for its wind turbine proposal. But beyond contributing slightly more than $20,000 in annual local property taxes and a few jobs created, mostly during the construction phase, the town won't see any direct benefit, several area residents said during the meeting.
"From the town's perspective we have to weigh the benefits — it comes down to economics," said Bill Drunsic, a member of Manchester's Planning Commission. "The financial incentives have to be large enough — all you need are 10 weddings not to show up at Hildene or the Equinox Hotel for it to make a difference."
If the town were to benefit directly in some way — perhaps through cheaper electric costs, then he would find it easier to feel better about the turbine proposal, he said.
But Lee said he had initially approached Central Vermont Public Service Corp., the main provider of electricity in Manchester, only to be rebuffed.
"It was one of the first things we tried, but they didn't want to do that," he said.
The proposal was looked at again from several standpoints — noise, lighting and the danger to a rare bat species that nests in two nearby caves, as well as the potential local benefits over the course of the six hour-long forums.
Following the referendum at Town Meeting, the proposal is to go before the state Public Service Board, but Lee has not yet filed an application, he said.
Meanwhile, the forums were considered useful and informative, even if they didn't change many minds, according to the results of a final polling question.
"At the end of the day we all still have to live here," said Select Board member Michael Kilburn. "We don't get to make the decision but we will still have to deal with the impacts if the project is approved and it's important to identify what those are."Contact Andrew McKeever at andrew.mckeever@rutlandherald.com
Rutland Herald
www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060213/NEWS/602130359/1003
Manchester split on wind turbines
February 13, 2006
By Andrew McKeever Herald Staff
MANCHESTER — A proposal to place wind turbines atop Mount Equinox still has a way to go before winning over local skeptics.
In a public forum held Saturday, about 100 residents voted with wireless keypads indicating they were split between supporting the measure, opposing it and supporting it under the right circumstances.
Those opposed to erecting five 390-foot tall turbines on Little Equinox totaled 32 percent compared to 27 percent who said they supported it.
Another 20 percent said they could support it depending on the conditions attached to the development.
The results shouldn't be taken as a final verdict, local town leaders said.
Judging by the results of the polling, opposition to the wind turbine proposal advanced by Endless Energy Corp. of Yarmouth, Maine, is strongest in Manchester Village, the nearest point in town to the proposed site. Their residents turned out in force at the meeting, said Manchester Town Manager Peter Webster.
"I wasn't surprised by the level of opposition," Webster said. "Generally people opposed to something will come out in greater numbers."
Town and village voters will weigh in through a nonbinding referendum at Town Meeting on March 7 with an article that will ask them if they support the town taking a position on the proposal if it goes before the state's Public Service Board for approval.
That vote should be more representative of what the broader Manchester community thinks, Webster said.
The forums gave backers and opponents of the proposal a chance to air concerns and ask questions to a panel of experts. Saturday's forum was the final of a series of six organized through a partnership between the town and the Orton Family Foundation.
One way the proposal could garner more local support is through solid evidence that Manchester would see some direct benefit from the plan, several participants said.
Harley Lee, the president and Founder of Endless Energy, announced he was prepared to deposit $600,000 into the town's coffers over a 20-year period to help offset the visual impact of the turbines on one the region's best-known ridgelines, considered by many an important asset for the area's tourist industry.
Webster said that was a step in the right direction, but he would prefer a deal that gave the town a percentage of the profits from the enterprise.
Endless Energy has a contract to supply the Burlington Electric Department with 7 percent of its electricity needs for 20 years if it gets state approval for its wind turbine proposal. But beyond contributing slightly more than $20,000 in annual local property taxes and a few jobs created, mostly during the construction phase, the town won't see any direct benefit, several area residents said during the meeting.
"From the town's perspective we have to weigh the benefits — it comes down to economics," said Bill Drunsic, a member of Manchester's Planning Commission. "The financial incentives have to be large enough — all you need are 10 weddings not to show up at Hildene or the Equinox Hotel for it to make a difference."
If the town were to benefit directly in some way — perhaps through cheaper electric costs, then he would find it easier to feel better about the turbine proposal, he said.
But Lee said he had initially approached Central Vermont Public Service Corp., the main provider of electricity in Manchester, only to be rebuffed.
"It was one of the first things we tried, but they didn't want to do that," he said.
The proposal was looked at again from several standpoints — noise, lighting and the danger to a rare bat species that nests in two nearby caves, as well as the potential local benefits over the course of the six hour-long forums.
Following the referendum at Town Meeting, the proposal is to go before the state Public Service Board, but Lee has not yet filed an application, he said.
Meanwhile, the forums were considered useful and informative, even if they didn't change many minds, according to the results of a final polling question.
"At the end of the day we all still have to live here," said Select Board member Michael Kilburn. "We don't get to make the decision but we will still have to deal with the impacts if the project is approved and it's important to identify what those are."Contact Andrew McKeever at andrew.mckeever@rutlandherald.com
Rutland Herald
www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060213/NEWS/602130359/1003