June 14, 2011
Massachusetts

Athol voters allow wind energy turbines

George Barnes, www.telegram.com 14 June 2011

ATHOL – Annual town meeting voters last night approved a bylaw allowing large wind energy systems in town. They had been prohibited under town zoning.

The vote opens up the possibility of a large wind turbine, similar to those in Templeton and Gardner, being erected in the town.

The only concern raised about the bylaw was from resident James Meehan, who criticized the requirement that any turbine be not less than three times its height away from any home and 1.1 times its height from a property line. Voters rejected his suggestion to change the requirement to 1.1 times the height of the turbine from a home.

Also approved was a bylaw setting standards for securing vacant and abandoned buildings and setting a fee schedule for furnishing a certificate of building closure.

Voters also approved $11,420, 264 for the annual town budget, $926,000 for the 2012 capital improvement plan and $3,453,417 for the town’s share of the Athol-Royalston Regional School District budget.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/06/14/athol-voters-allow-wind-energy-turbines/