May 18, 2012
Massachusetts

Kingston’s Independence spins, cease and desist appeal to be filed

By Kathryn Gallerani | Wicked Local Kingston | www.patriotledger.com | 18 May 2012

KINGSTON – The wind turbine Independence has started spinning and producing on a more consistent basis after two weeks of stops and starts during a two-week commissioning process.

A day after passing a safety test that was required by NStar, the Independence started spinning last Friday.

While the turbine won’t spin 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Kingston Wind Independence co-manager Kially Ruiz said, it will be monitored 24/7 by remote server over the Internet.

“We completed the commissioning on Friday, and now Hyundai and our team are monitoring it 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.

The turbine is expected to spin on average 40 percent of the time and only when it’s windy, or when wind speeds are a minimum of 7 miles per hour. If wind speeds exceed 50 miles per hour, the turbine is designed to shut down or go into parking mode.

The tracking system can monitor the number of kilowatt hours saved, weather conditions in town and other basic data. A website is being set up so that anyone interested in the data can check, too. An email address will be made available to residents and others who have concerns about noise they attribute to the turbine. Ruiz also plans to start a blog to address common concerns.

Wind turbine friends and foes, who disagree as to whether turbines have an adverse affect on the community, are expected to get a new opportunity to share their concerns or express their support at the local board level.

Attorney Christopher Senie is preparing to file an appeal of the refusal by Building Commmissioner and Zoning Enforcement Officer Paul Armstrong to issue requested cease and desist orders to prevent and stop operation of the Independence and developer Mary O’Donnell’s three Marion Road turbines.

The 11 families of Country Club Way, Leland Road and Copper Beach Drive residents are challenging the validity of the site plan approval and building permits for the four wind turbines. Armstrong basically ruled they were valid.

Senie has 30 days from the date of Armstrong’s decision (April 27) to file an appeal with the Zoning Board of Appeals. A public hearing will be scheduled, and at that hearing anyone with an interest in or concern about these turbines may speak.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/05/18/kingstons-independence-spins-cease-and-desist-appeal-to-be-filed/