January 20, 2014
Ontario

Wainfleet Wind Energy still open to negotiation, Rankin says

Turbine hearings resume in one week | By Greg Furminger, The Tribune | Sunday, January 19, 2014 | www.wellandtribune.ca

An environmental review tribunal hearing into Wainfleet Wind Energy Corp’.s plan to erect two turbines near Skydive Burnaby will resume one week from Monday.

Reached out of town Sunday, Tom Rankin said as the hearings continued last week, two days were also spent discussing a possible settlement, but nothing came of it.

Those negotiations took place in private.

But despite no resolution in the matter, Rankin said a settlement option is still up for negotiation.

Skydive Burnaby owners Mike and Tara Pitt are appealing plans for the turbines to be erected on Station Rd. land near Concession 1 owned by the Loeffen family, which has partnered on the project with Rankin Construction, a partner in Wainfleet Wind Energy.

The turbines are proposed to be built 1.5 km west of the skydiving club, bringing about safety of parachutists.

The Pitts were not immediately available for comment.

The tribunal hearing resumes Monday, Jan. 27.

That’s one day before township council’s controversial decision to apply $40,000 in taxpayer money toward Skydive Burnaby’s legal bills is expected to be resolved by elected officials.

The Dec. 10 decision triggered the second lawsuit by Wainfleet Wind Energy against the municipality.

Following public delegations for and against the $40,000 decision at last week’s council meeting, Jeffs said no final decision on whether to contribute that money or rescind the decision will be made until Jan. 28 so that the township’s legal counsel in the meantime could review the matter.

She also said no money has exchanged hands.

Figures presented to the public last week by township treasurer Robyn Madere showed from 2012 to Sept. 13, 2013, the municipality had spent $193,600 fighting turbines, including on legal fees and $66,645 awarded to Wainfleet Wind Energy, which successfully sued to strike down a township bylaw that called for a 2-km residential setback for wind turbines, rather than the 500-metre setback required as part of the Green Energy Act.

[rest of article available at source]


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/01/20/wainfleet-wind-energy-still-open-to-negotiation-rankin-says/