National Wind Watch: Wind Energy News » Plympton Wyoming worried about property values by wind turbines

Plympton-Wyoming Council wants provincial officials to explain how the coming industrial wind turbines will affect land values in the community.

Two major wind projects will bring upwards of 90 turbines to the community, near and north of Camlachie. Realtors, including the head of the London St. Thomas Real Estate Board, contend the value of land within the sight of the giant turning blades drop about 30 percent. Doug Pedlar, who sells around Grand Bend, adds he’s seen potential buyers near Zurich walk away from a home they were very interested the minute they heard they would be seeing the turbines out their window in the future.

That has Plympton-Wyoming Mayor Lonny Napper worried. Lower property assessment means less tax dollars for the municipality and Napper says the uncertainty makes planning difficult.

“We’re wondering if that is going to happen,” he says. “There have been rumours that it is going to be the case.

“We’d get a hit on that – it is quite an impact,” says Napper. “We’re looking for answers how it will affect our revenue.

Council has asked staff to contact the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, the Ministry of the Environment, Municipal Affairs and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario asking for a plan of action to cope with the potential decreases in assessment.