As I read the article written in the OBSERVER (Jan. 15) regarding the Arkwright town meeting and the proposed wind power project (Piece of Cake, Arkwright Town Board session tamer than usual), one word came to mind numerous times … what?
I have been a resident in the town of Arkwright for almost 10 years. In my opinion, the town board meeting was not an indication of “the community coming together.” A community is not together because the town supervisor declares that to the local media to sway public opinion. A community does not come together when proposing ideas and addressing important concerns to the leaders of our town is looked at as “confrontational questions” and “obvious objections.” This is not about who agrees with wind power and who disagrees with wind power. The community is divided because Horizon is a huge company, no longer an American company, that has come into a small town with landowners desperate for money, in a society that no longer supports local farming, and a town board basing decisions on financial gains and nothing more.
The result: 47 gigantic wind towers up to 330 feet and a turbine size of up to 300 feet, in an area that was considered residential/agricultural a year ago and has since been switched over to industrial zoning.
Property values already going down, back door deals and confidentiality agreements are being signed and worst of all there’s been manipulation. This project is going to change the landscape of Arkwright forever. This project is going to change the landscape of my backyard forever. And I was considered one of those with confrontational questions.
On a personal side, we moved out to Arkwright because of our love for the outdoors and for the environment.
We support all renewable resources including wind energy – locally owned and operated wind farms. A wind farm that is going to benefit every single individual. A wind farm that will have half the impact on our landscape that Horizon’s development intends to have. The resources are out there. There are other ways. The wind is not going anywhere.
Rick and Julianne Valone are Arkwright residents.
20 January 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/01/21/not-all-favor-plans-for-towers/