March 9, 2018
Letters, Michigan

Moyle and the master plan

Daily Press | March 8, 2018 | www.dailypress.net

This letter is in response to Dave Moyle’s letter to the editor where he complains about how the city of Escanaba did not follow the master plan.

Mr. Moyle, who is a county commissioner, also sat on the Delta County Planning Board. During this time he has had no real desire to look at the Delta County Master Plan, when the county chose to approve 36 industrial turbine permits on the Garden Peninsula. In fact, he went against both the state of Michigan’s Parks and Recreation Division and United States Fish and Wildlife Service requests to not build turbines on Garden Peninsula.

Evidently, Mr. Moyle does not think that the tens of thousands of annual tourists that have come to the Garden Peninsula in the past to view its historical sites, and to camp in its campgrounds and fish are important enough to our economy. Basically, he has ignored the fact that tourists come to see Pure Michigan ala natural from Fayette’s park camp sites, but will be viewing red flashing lights at night and the look of a big industrial park by day instead.

On top of that, what was Mr. Moyle’s vote when Delta County reduced the wind turbine setbacks from 1,640 feet to 625 feet? The public should know the Delta County commissioners voted in the manufactures recommended safety setback of 1,640 feet only to reverse the decision two weeks later when Heritage Energy said they could not make that work on the Garden Peninsula. Imagine that, a millionaire developer from Traverse City comes to Delta County and tells them he cannot cram 50 to 60 wind turbines on a three mile wide peninsula, unless they reduce the setbacks to 625 feet. For an added reference, Schoolcraft County has a 3,000-foot turbine setback.

Congratulations Delta County, you now have one of the smallest turbine setbacks in the United States.

John Gavre

Garden


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/03/09/moyle-and-the-master-plan/