A huge gamble…
Seems a shame that, just after praising the Garrett County commissioners in this corner last week, they will be the subjects of major criticism this week. But that’s politics.
The commissioners voted this week to approve the 216-page, 2008 Garrett County comprehensive plan, but before doing so voted to remove a couple of key paragraphs under the section titled “Ridgelines,” paragraphs that were recommended for adoption by the Planning Commission, which did most of the work on the document.
Essentially, what they removed were protection clauses for the mountain ridgelines throughout the county noting that ridgelines are “sensitive areas in need of protection,” and more specifically stating that the placement of 400-foot wind turbines on these ridgelines “could be incompatible with the aesthetics, scenic quality, and rural character of the county.” These paragraphs were simply crossed out by the commissioners, an act that will do much to clear the way for the wind industry to finally get a real foothold in Garrett County.
With all of the letters to the editor on this page today lambasting the commissioners for this decision (we didn’t receive a single one in favor), it almost seems like overkill to even “go there” in this column. But it is an extremely important matter, and as stated here before, once those monsters go up, they will be there for a long, long time.
Commissioner Denny Glotfelty said yesterday that the paragraphs were removed because the commissioners support renewable energy, plain and simple. He noted that even the presidential candidates are both in favor of many kinds of renewable energy.
One would be hard-pressed to find a single citizen who is opposed to renewable energy. The rub is, though, there remains a wide variety of major concerns and questions about wind turbines and wind energy. The reliability and danger to wildlife and the environment are two of them, not to mention the potential negative effects on our most vital industry, tourism.
Commissioner Glotfelty also noted that the board is seeking legislation to add setback requirements for wind turbines, as well as for any other towers, to better protect the property rights of adjacent owners. That’s all well and good, but this move appears more like an attempt to toss a bone to those who adamantly oppose the wind industry, with hopes that it will somehow appease them. That’s not likely going to happen.
This seems like a huge gamble that the commissioners are taking with the future of Garrett County.
9 October 2008
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Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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