September 15, 2011
Massachusetts

Norwell farm owner submits second application for wind turbine feasibility tower

By John Penny, 95.9 WATD-FM, 959watd.com 15 September 2011

The Norwell Zoning Board of Appeals held a special permit and variance hearing Wednesday night, for the construction of wind tower at 342 Mount Blue Street.

The board denied Bruce Meacham’s first application for a wind tower, to determine the feasibility of installing a commercial wind turbine under an agricultural use on his 5 acre farm, which is still in litigation.

But now he’s returned with a second application for a 200 foot wind tower – again, to determine the feasibility of a wind turbine under agricultural use – but this time, to generate power for irrigation.

Neighbor Jim Trenz voiced his opposition to the proposal and said it’s more of the same.

“Trenz said, “It appears to me that this is just lipstick on a pig. It’s the same application, for the same thing that was asked for before and they’re putting a different face on it – except it’s still a pig.”

Trenz said he can’t believe Meacham needs a wind turbine for irrigation and claims runoff from the farm is flooding his property.

“I find it tremendously ironic that they would ask for water, which is being flowed across the street to me and dumped on my property. They need a generator to find water to then pump up to their farm? That is incredible irony. I’m just incensed that they claim that’s the actual reason for a wind turbine, when I’ve been asking them for years to modify the amount of water that’s coming down across the street and dumping onto my property,” Trenz said.

Meacham leases out the 5 acres and claims he’s just trying find ways to keep the farm going. However, he didn’t deny the possibility of selling excess electricity not used for the farm, back to the electrical grid.

The hearing is continued until October 5.

Jim Trenz is related to an employee of WATD.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/09/15/norwell-farm-owner-submits-second-application-for-wind-turbine-feasibility-tower/