December 13, 2013
Maine

Mars Hill Resident seeks compensation due to wind farm noise nuisance

Angela Christoforos | December 12, 2013 | WAGM-TV | wagmtv.com

Imagine having an uninvited guest in your yard that never goes away- that’s how one Mars Hill Resident describes the wind farm just about a mile away from his property. He’s lived in his home for 23 years but the past six, he says, it hasn’t felt like home. Now, he’s asking the town for help. NewsSource 8′s Angela Christoforos has the story…

Mars Hill Resident Michael Gosselin said, “Typical week I’ll hear them 3 or 4 times a week.

Gosselin says the noise caused by the wind farm just over a mile away from his property has been a NUISANCE.

Gosselin said, ”It has ruined my everyday life cause I’m a combat wounded Veteran and I spend most of my day here at my residence and I moved up from 446 miles from Rhode Island to have peace and tranquility.”

Peace and tranquility that Gosselin says he no longer has ever since 28 wind turbines were placed on top of Mars Hill mountain in 2007.

“It sounds like a loud airplane overhead never leaving for it’s destination,” Gosselin said.

Gosselin says the noise became so disturbing that he built a sound proof bunker in his garage as a way to escape it. He’s asking the town to change the amount he’s being taxed on his property because according to him, he’s not able to enjoy it to it’s full extent. In order to be granted a tax abatement, Gosselin needs to prove his property is in fact worth less; and at this point he doesn’t have that data.

Broker and Owner of Remax Central Jane Towle said, ”In essence wind turbines are a relatively new concept across our country and there’s still a lot of unanswered questions as to whether they affect property values at all. The wind farm here in Mars Hill is the only wind farm here locally so there is no other area to compare it to in our region and so it makes it very difficult to determine whether property values are affected or not.”

Gosselin suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and says the noise gives him headaches. News Source 8 contacted Mars Hill town officials who say the turbines are operating within the “permitted guidelines for noise.” Gosselin also tried reaching out to First Wind; the company that owns the turbines. He’s asking for a settlement. If he doesn’t get that settlement he says he’s willing to take his petition as far as the Supreme Court.

Gosselin said, ”I’m going to take it all the way to the top I feel that strongly about it that it’s a violation of my civil rights, they took away my peace, tranquility, and happiness.”

The Mars Hill Town Council will be taking up Gosselin’s tax abatement request at the council meeting Monday night and determine whether there are sufficient grounds to grant the abatement.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/12/13/mars-hill-resident-seeks-compensation-due-to-wind-farm-noise-nuisance/