January 27, 2012
Massachusetts

Plymouth: Planning Board approves special permit for wind turbine amid resident concerns

By Bobbi Clark, 95.9 WATD-FM 959watd.com 26 January 2012

It was a standing room only crowd—most of them Hedges Pond Road residents—at the Plymouth Planning Board meeting this week. The majority believe they will be negatively impacted by the proposed construction of a wind turbine in their neighborhood.

There are almost four hundred homes in the Hedges Pond Road area that may have to live in the shadow of a wind turbine described as queen-size by the proponent, Associated Wind Developers, but likened to the height of the Statue of Liberty by some homeowners. The majority of the residents are greatly concerned about their property values and spoke emotionally about that.

One of them is Michelle Angvrides:

“The estimations are that property values do go down anywhere between twenty and fifty percent. I think that fifty is probably high, but that’s one of the estimates. It’s my largest single investment in my life. I stand to lose that investment if this turbine goes up.”

Bob Stott spoke in favor of the proposal:

“I think it’s critical for the health of our town and for the health of our children and for the health of our world that we find energy from alternative sources.”

In the end the Board voted three to one in support of the special permit. Bill Wennerberg voted in opposition and Tim Grande abstained. The proposal goes to the ZBA on February 15th.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/01/27/plymouth-planning-board-approves-special-permit-for-wind-turbine-amid-resident-concerns/