March 25, 2011
Massachusetts

Brewster plans new wind turbine rule for town meeting

By Rich Eldred, Cape Codder, www.wickedlocal.com 25 March 2011

Brewster’s selectmen have reworked the May 2, town meeting warrant.

One new article (article 5) would side step the planning board’s special permitting process for municipal wind energy turbines that, “regardless of size shall be permitted by right on town-owned property in any industrial district, and by special permit in all otehr districts, provided the meet all the building code requirements.”

Turbine foes are upset about the proposal and plan tp attend Monday night’s board of seelctmen meeting when the ariclel will be discussed.

Gone is article 21 which would have requested funds for a new police detective. Gone and replaced is article 23 which would’ve revoked authorization to use the Barrows property off Freeman’s way for renewable energy. The new version would request special legislation to return the property to the Water Commission for use as watershed protection, public water supply and passive recreation.

There is also a citizen’s petition on the warrant that would accomplish much the same thing, however selectman Peter Norton said the town attorney had advised that neither the original article 23 or citizens petition would accomplish the desired goal, which is why the orginal was withdrawn.

After perusing the new article, Mitch Relin, who spoke on behalf of the citizen’s petition, said he would like to withdraw the petition, but he will have to wait until the town meeting to do so.

There are two other similar articles on the warrant, article 27 would amend the town’s noise bylaw and set the fine for violations at $100. A citizen’s petition would also amend the same bylaw but retain a fine of not more than $50, except in the case of wind turbines where the fine would always be the maximum.

These bylaws could come up at sepatarte times during the meeting and it possible both could pass, in which case it is probable the second version passed would overwrite the first – but a legal opinion on that awaits.

The numbers of the articles will change when the warrant is printed at the end of this month.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/25/brewster-plans-new-wind-turbine-rule-for-town-meeting/