January 17, 2018
Indiana, Letters

Wind turbines will hurt property values

PUBLIC FORUM: Wind turbines will hurt property values | Pharos-Tribune | January 16, 2018 | www.pharostribune.com

I am sure everyone knows by now that RES (Renewable Energy Systems), a foreign owned company from Great Britain, plans to build 600- to 800-foot-tall turbines in northern Cass County. Beware, southern Cass County and Pulaski County: They are coming after you next.

Our three County Commissioners said they are all for them, but Ralph Anderson said in the Pharos-Tribune that he wouldn’t want one by his home. Is that a good comment to make if you are in office to make decisions for all the people in the county?

The setback from the corner of a home is going to be 1,000 feet. This is according to the Cass County ordinance. This ordinance was from 2008 when they were talking about 350-foot-tall turbines.

These are going to be much larger and should have larger, safer setbacks. White County’s plan director tells Fulton County’s plan director the reason for half-mile setbacks on their riverfront is because wind turbines would be detrimental to property values. They don’t want to decrease the value of property on their riverfront (expensive homes).

Everyone’s property value is important, no matter what county it is in. Cass, Fulton and Miami County’s ordinances were copied from White County’s. Officials know neighboring property values will decrease, yet they will allow RES to steal our property value and rights when the turbines are built. RES says it won’t affect your property value. Do your homework and call a Realtor and don’t take RES’s word for it. Should you have to suffer property value loss so that your neighbor can make a buck?

Our former commissioners said that when they finished the Hoosier Heartland highway they were going to bring factories and jobs back to Cass County. Instead of factories, our former commissioner, Dave Arnold, who is working for RES, is pushing the wind turbines. This will bring possibly 50 highly skilled jobs to our county and only a few of those employed here will live here. I just wonder what these people have been drinking or what is going on under the table?

We all have moved and made our homes here in rural Cass County for a reason. We like the quiet atmosphere to raise our families. This could ruin the friendships in the neighborhoods because of the way it was handled so secretly.