May 2, 2012
Massachusetts

Shelburne voters continue to fight wind energy

By Neil Carroll, WGGB, www.wggb.com 2 May 2012

Last night a Shelburne town meeting on wind energy stretched past midnight and into early this morning. Voters turned out in record numbers to discuss and eventually vote against a proposal for four wind turbines to be put on top of Mt. Massaemet.

“We’re really concerned about how we maintain the livelihoods of these families,” said Dave Patrick – a citizen concerned with his neighbors. “That said, industrial wind turbines seem to be incompatible with this area.”

But in a strange twist, the land developer had passed in an application that overrode the towns vote.

“Unfortunately we were presented with a twist,” said Barbara Perry. “The developer – the day before the town meeting, a long with a couple of landowners – submitted a plan for a sub division and the ban would not apply to the sub division.”

Now the 77 percent of voters that are against the wind energy proposal are left to wait until a Thursday night meeting with the town’s lawyer to see what they can do.

Regardless of the outcome, the residents said they’re excited with the turnout from voters on the subject.

“Shelburne voters turned out in record numbers,” said Perry.

“We know that this issue is not going to go away,” said Patrick. “We won a battle, but not a war.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/05/02/shelburne-voters-continue-to-fight-wind-energy/