Wind turbine hearing Monday
Cohasset could be on its way to getting its two biggest fans — wind turbines, that is. This coming Monday, Sept. 8 at 8p.m., the Planning Board will begin what will likely be a series of public hearings on an application proposing two wind turbines on the Graham Waste site off Route 3A.
The project application, put forth by a private developer, proposes the installation of two 1.65-megawatt sized wind turbines.
The application is a landmark project as it is the first for the town and the first venture under the recently passed Wind Energy Conversion Facility bylaw. The bylaw, drafted with the help of the Alternative Energy Committee and sponsored by the Planning Board, establishes town-wide zoning regulations for commercial size wind turbines — turbines greater than 500-kilowatts, or about the size Hull Wind I located near Hull High School.
“On a grand scale I’ve got to say anything the town can do to make use of renewable energy is a good idea,” said Planning Board member Charles Samuelson. “But, there are some obvious trade-offs.” He named visual impacts as being one of them.
However, Chairman Al Moore is quick to point out that the public hearing process will not be a place for debate on whether wind turbines are good or bad.
“The opportunity to oppose wind turbines has come and gone,” Moore said in a phone interview. With the unanimous passage of the wind bylaw at the Annual Town Meeting earlier this year, the Planning Board is responsible for ensuring the project adheres to the regulations. “The Planning Board as a quasi-judicial board and is not here to make a subjective decision on wind turbines.”
Samuelson agrees, “our role is to determine if the project meets the requirements set down at Town Meeting.”
Moore said he would welcome resident participation, but not allow the discussion to be steered from the task at hand — determining whether the project conforms with the zoning bylaws.
The private project on the Graham Waste Services site is a joint venture between CCI-Energy, Palmer Capital, Lumus Construction and Emergent Energy. Graham Waste business and landowner, Paul Barry, has leased the land to the developers. The developers have been working on the project for two-plus years.
Jim Sweeney of CCI-Energy, the turbine developer, is looking forward to getting in front of the Planning Board.
“It is going to be exciting for us and for the town,” said Sweeney. “From almost everybody we’ve talked to we have received a favorable response…so far, I don’t think anybody is going to fight (the project).”
However, Sweeney has met with the Avalon apartment complex developers to go over the project plans. When the 200-unit Avalon apartment complex is built off Route 3A some of the units could be as close as 500 feet from one of the turbines, Sweeney said. It is the only potential abutting residential development.
Sweeney knows the Planning Board and residents will have plenty of questions, something he welcomes with open arms.
“It is the right thing to do — get all the facts and from there make a decision,” said Sweeney.
The twin turbines will have towers 100 meters high and each of the blades is 41-meters long, making the entire structure extend 141 meters into the air. The turbines will be structurally larger than the 60-meter Hull Wind II located on their capped landfill on the Weir River, but Hull Wind II’s siting gives it additional height. The turbines will be set about 500 feet apart on either side of the capped landfill.
If constructed the turbines hold the possibility of providing as much as (or more than) two-thirds of the town’s energy. The developer, CCI-Energy, is currently working with the Alternative Energy Committee on a contract to sell the excess energy generated by the turbines to the town at a discounted rate.
The public hearings, essentially a site plan review for the project, will include an in-depth look at all aspects of the project and its potential impacts. The application includes a 70-page feasibility study, which outlines the project from a wind analysis to potential noise, shadow flicker, visual and avian impacts to estimated energy outputs.
Moore expects the public hearings to last at least two sessions to allow for resident participation and to ensure all questions are adequately addressed. The process will be much like a site plan review for a commercial development and in many ways will be a little simpler, said Moore. For example, a proposal when the Dunkin’ Donuts was proposed on Route 3A in the former Koko Island building, a thorough traffic study needed to be done. The turbines will have little implications for traffic on Route 3A.
The town’s engineer consultant John Modelewski will be analyzing the plans as well to ensure they are technically sound.
One of Samuelson’s questions and concerns is the future of the turbine. How will it be maintained? What happens when its useful life is complete?
“I want to be sure there is a process and funding in place for the maintenance of the turbine,” said Samuelson, adding he wants to know what the plan is for dismantling the turbine when it no longer is efficient.
“It is a first so we will be doing a thorough site plan, covering all the bases and we’ll see how it goes,” said Moore.
The wind turbine application is available at the Planning Board office on the first floor of Town Hall. The public hearing will begin at 8p.m. on Monday, Sept. 8.
By Nancy White
Cohasset Mariner
5 September 2008
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