Concerns about proposed windmill farm
Mid-York Weekly,www.uticaod.com 4 April 2012
We are 29-year residents of the beautiful town of Madison, but our family has owned property and paid taxes to the town since 1952. We are four generations deep in Madison, but are wondering how much longer we’ll have the same warm feelings about our countryside. We moved here from Utica, looking for the peace and tranquility that all of us here in Madison love, but may at times take for granted.
Times change – that’s a given. Not always for the better. We don’t always have control. However, sometimes we do have some “say” in how things change. Picture, if you will, a 50-story office building – a common sight in New York City. Now superimpose that picture over the view of the hillsides in our town – 36 times! That’s what 36, 500-foot wind turbines will look like. We don’t have to accept this change. Our representatives on the town boards hold the power to veto these new turbines, slated for construction soon in our beautiful, quiet town.
We respect the right of property owners to lease or sell their property to make a profit. But should the profit of the few be at the expense of the residents who will be impacted on a daily basis by the noise, shadow flicker, and imposing hulk of the turbine’s mass right outside their windows? These folks won’t have any choice but to tolerate the many problems that accompany such huge windmills. What about future generations of Madison residents? Will we lose more of our younger folks because our town is no longer the peaceful, beautiful place it once was?
We ask that those who are considering “signing up” with the turbine developers to be sure you are completely aware of the ramifications of these windmills. The so-called tax benefits can be misleading as well. A good source of information is the website, madisonmatters.org.
Please consider the long-term impact of these 500-foot tall potential new “neighbors.” Our quality of life is about to change forever.
Mary and John Lopata
Town of Madison Residents
A change for the better??
To the editor:
I want you to know how absolutely horrified I am at the Madison Town Board’s decision to allow these monster industrial windmills to be built in our backyards! These windmills are equal to a 50-story skyscraper, they will do massive damage to the pristine countryside, and I guarantee you that if you allow this project to move forward, our lives will never be the same, and not in a good way.
You are taking away our God-given right to be at peace in our own homes. What will happen when the blasting begins? What will happen to our wells, and the foundations of our homes? What kind of health problems will arise after it’s too late? The flicker, noise, reflection, shadows, and strobe effect. This will change our very existence.
We will not be able to enjoy a beautiful summer’s day in our own backyards. We will no longer be able to open the windows in our homes because of the deafening noise. The simple joy of having a barbecue on our deck will be a thing of the past.
Think of the effects this will have on the wildlife, hunting will be non-existent. The birds will be sacrificed every day. The Bald Eagle, the very symbol of our great nation, will be sliced in half when it meets one of these monster blades. This project will destroy the real estate value of this area and no one will ever consider moving here.
I am begging the town board to reconsider its decision. This is a bell that can never be unrung. I urge everyone to see the documentary “Windfall” at the Hamilton Movie Theater at 7 p.m. on April 10, or at Madison Central School at 7 p.m. on April 16. Admission is free. This is something everyone needs to see; it is a harsh real-life movie about towns that went through with this very same project, and are now living in a nightmare.
Nancy Frey
More windmill concerns
To the editor:
As a town of Madison resident, I want to comment on the turbines that are ever growing in size and questionable efficiency.
The proposed turbines are about 1/3 again larger than the beauties that are stroking our skyline now. So far there are no turbines that are as near to anyone’s home unless first consulted about their placement. The newly proposed ones are bigger and being placed on properties that are nearer to residential areas. I fear that the companies responsible for the erection and installation of these machines are far less concerned about the green than about their own gain. Historically, there have been problems with the payments to some of the providers of materials that come from the local areas.
There has been very little effort exerted by the town board and the appointed planning board to let anyone know what is proposed and what it will mean. I suspect there is an anticipation of revenue that will help the town pay for the essentials. That needs scrutiny. All one has to do is go to see and communicate with towns that have these turbines spread around the homes. The commentary we have heard is by no means an endorsement.
I am not against clean energy. I implore the local officials to look at the facts before they decide. None of these turbines are efficient enough to stand on their own. I strongly urge all to envision these towers close enough to your own home so that you can experience the strobe-like pulse of light through your living room window and the potential for whine and hum that is steady and in your ears.
If you live in the nearby towns, be vigilant about your own. The wind is just as available in your town as in ours. Will your neighbors’ farm be the next place for one of these?
The madisonmatters.org site has made information available. Pay attention to what is going on.
Sincerely,
Timothy and Joanna Overton
Town of Madison residents
Invitation to Madison boards
To the editor:
Madison Matters would like to encourage the Town of Madison Planning Board and Town Board to attend a free showing of “Windfall” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 10 at the Hamilton Movie Theater or at 7 p.m. on April 16 at Madison Central School.
“Windfall” is a balanced and disturbing documentary about the effects of a proposed wind farm on the people of the Town of Meredith, NY. Before you vote on the Rolling Upland Hills Wind Farm project, it is incumbent upon all of you to educate yourselves about the potential consequences of your actions.
Accompany us on a free bus tour of Hardscrabble Wind Farm on Sunday, April 15. The bus will leave from the parking lot of Madison Central School at 12:15 p.m. Before you vote, you must see for yourselves what a 37-turbine wind farm really looks and sounds like, and talk to officials and residents of the town of Fairfield who have been affected.
Cordially,
Madison Matters
Note: Madison Matters is a group of area residents who have concerns about the proposed windmill project in the town of Madison. For more information, visitwww.madisonmatters.org.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/04/04/concerns-about-proposed-windmill-farm/