Don’t pass wind power ordinance
Daily Bulldog, www.dailybulldog.com 10 March 2012
I want to alert the people of Farmington that a wind power ordinance will be up for vote at the town meeting on Monday evening, March 19. It ought not to pass as written. It would not protect town residents from some of the noisome aspects of wind power.
The current ordinance would allow commercial sized wind turbines, such as the 750 kwatt, 250-foot high turbines which were being proposed for the Bailey Hill area, to be erected 262.5 feet from a neighbor’s property line. It would allow noise levels at the property line to average 60 decibels –the equivalent of having people talking at your bedside all night long, only worse since the low frequency noise of windmills carries and penetrates further. Your sleep and health would be disturbed, and your property value drop.
Farmington needs a wind power ordinance. It should allow a property owner or developer to follow the guidelines, put up a windmill, and be a “good neighbor”. It should protect citizens from the downside of someone else’s economic venture.
Learn more before the town meeting. Review a report developed for a town in Michigan by acoustics expert, Robert Rand: http://iiccusa.org/key-impacts/noise/. (Browse the web site for other detailed information on windpower) Robert Rand is based in Brunswick, but has consulted on windpower projects across the state. He has helped some neighboring towns develop their windpower ordinances. Check out his web site at: www.randacoustics.com
Farmington needs to vote down the proposed ordinance and tell the selectmen to “fast track” a new ordinance with guidance from an acoustics expert.
Your vote will count. See you on the 19th!
Burt Knapp MD
West Farmington
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/03/10/dont-pass-wind-power-ordinance/