Bethany Wind Turbine Committee's January Report

Submitted by EffieRover on Mon, 02/05/2007 - 11:56am

I have obtained a copy of Bethany's "final" wind report. You can download it at http://www.effierover.com/downloads/ReportFinal.pdf

Don't know at this time if the town will offer it on their website (they usually do) or what the general reaction is.

» email this page

Ok I am lost becasue I am

Submitted by mrssal on Mon, 02/05/2007 - 9:03pm.

Ok I am lost becasue I am not the greatest on legal Jargon...is this going to make it eay or hard for the companies to come in and build? and they are recommending the 450 turbines?

» login or register to post comments | email this page

Oh and what is the link to

Submitted by mrssal on Mon, 02/05/2007 - 9:23pm.

Oh and what is the link to the bethany town hall I have been nuts trying to find it.

If I read the pictures right in the report, it seems like a limited area where they can build, but a shame that it will be right in the gravel pit area where they find do many fossels and is a major deer and wildlife run.

Also if they are so concerned with the dishonesy of the wind company that contacted them, why are they proceeding?

» login or register to post comments | email this page

Mrssal - this is only the

Submitted by EffieRover on Tue, 02/06/2007 - 1:47pm.

Mrssal - this is only the recommendations of the committee. It is stricter than many requirements in the US but more on a par with rules in California and Europe, where they have more experience with turbines and know the drawbacks.

I have done some rough maps based on those recommendations and the 450' turbines proposed by UPC. The area where they would be allowed is primarily along East Rd at the southern end with a spot here or there scattered throughout the town. Presuming they can take care of the endangered wood warbler flight path and sound issues, only a few will fit safely between homes.

Next will be a Q&A session between the Bethany planning board and the committee, scheduled for March 15th at 7:30pm. I'll post it here.

» login or register to post comments | email this page

Ok thanks I see the post. I

Submitted by mrssal on Tue, 02/06/2007 - 4:32pm.

Ok thanks I see the post. I had a feelinf from what I was reading that it might make it hard for them to put the large turbines up around the town. If I read the maps right the only areas they could go into was the green areas correct.

I see they say they will have to check where the bats are also, I was cncerned about that due to I do havea family of bats on my property and could miss them if they were gone, we like to watch them at night in the summer.

» login or register to post comments | email this page

I am also concerned about

Submitted by EffieRover on Wed, 02/07/2007 - 10:05am.

I am also concerned about bats. We have many colonies on our acreage and the mosquitoes are bad enough with them. We had to remove a colony of brown bats that was nesting in our attic and noticed a significant jump in insects as a result. I'd hate to see this area with more bat fatalities.

BTW, I'm not sure if that meeting is supposed to be open to the public or not. It should be, sunshine law and all that, but I'd check with Debbie at the Town Hall before lining up a babysitter or anything.

My biggest concern is noise, though. The committee wanted a one mile setback for noise avoidance. My argument there was that you can't measure sound in miles -- sound travels differently under different circumstances. Therefore, the recommendation is for a decibel limit at the property line of all non-participating landowners. We read a letter (I'm on the committee) from NewAcoustics, a sound engineering company in Scotland with a great deal of experience working for wind companies and towns in measuring. They recommended 35db and even the most fervently pro-wind member of our committee said he could accept that.

To be honest, I think that will be the true setback in Bethany. All these feet distant here and there are easy enough to measure -- but sound travels well in our community.

» login or register to post comments | email this page