January 20, 2012
New York

Cape Vincent to pass wind moratorium Feb. 7

By JAEGUN LEE, TIMES STAFF WRITER, FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012, watertowndailytimes.com

The Town Council is speeding up the process of putting a halt to all wind energy development in Cape Vincent.

On Feb. 7, instead of at the next regular council meeting Feb. 16, the board plans to pass a seven-month moratorium on the construction of all “wind power-generating facilities” following a public hearing that starts at 7 p.m. that day at Recreation Park on James Street.

Town Supervisor Urban C. Hirschey initially proposed to hold the special meeting Feb. 2 – almost immediately after the Jefferson County Planning Board reviews the proposal at its Jan. 31 meeting – but delayed it because Councilmen Clifford P. Schneider and John L. Byrne III could not make it that day.

Mr. Hirschey said the town not only will formulate a new wind law, but will review and revise Cape Vincent’s zoning law and comprehensive plan while the moratorium is in effect.

Committees have been formed to tackle each task, and each plans to recommend revisions this summer after holding public hearings.

Planning Board member Robert S. Brown, chairman of the nine-member zoning law revision committee, said Cape Vincent needs to make proactive, not reactive, revisions to the town zoning law – which last was revised in 1998.

“The state recommends that you review and revise it no less frequently than five years. So that in itself says we need to play catch-up on general zoning requirements, ideas plus anything else that is more pertinent. It’s a big undertaking,” Mr. Brown said. “That is going to be done in concert with the review and, if necessary, revision of the comprehensive plan by another group of people.”

The zoning committee meetings – which will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Recreation Park – are open to the public.

“There will be no privilege of the floor, but there will be forms that you can fill out with your name and phone number and suggestion,” Mr. Brown said. “If you give us a comment, please be kind enough to give us a suggestive solution.”

Mr. Schneider, chairman of the comprehensive plan committee, said the eight-member committee is seeking one or two more members to help with the process.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/01/20/cape-vincent-to-pass-wind-moratorium-feb-7/