A bad proposal
The Recorder | 23 May 2012
The Shelburne Zoning Board is scheduled to hold a hearing on the new application for four 389-foot industrial turbines for Mount Massaemet, overlooking Shelburne Falls. The situation has been confusing for most of us. It’s been hard to keep track of what the developer has in store for the town. Maybe it’s meant to be that way. If we are confused enough, we might stop caring or start thinking that what happens next doesn’t matter.
I, for one, am glad the town voted to ban big turbines. Now, I hope that those who care whether or not the turbines should be built in Shelburne attend the hearing and voice their concerns in person, or in writing. When I look at the Shelburne bylaws, one thing stands out to me: The Zoning Board has to decide, would the good of the project outweigh the bad? From what I have seen, there will most likely be bad health effects, bad environmental effects, and a lowering of our property values. These four turbines will produce .01 percent of Massachusetts energy use and consume millions of dollars of public money that could be put to work more effectively insulating buildings and homes. A wind project like this one won’t lower our light bills, but rather raise them for the same amount of energy that gets used. So, I hope the Shelburne Zoning Board will see that the good does not outweigh the bad, and reject this application.
We have heard many rumors about what Mr. Field, the developer may or may not do in the coming days. He has certainly surprised us in the past. Our safest bet is for the ZBA to say “no.” Let’s ask them to do that. The hearing will be at 8 p.m. May 24 at the elementary school in Shelburne.
FRANK ROZELLE Shelburne
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/05/23/a-bad-proposal/