Industrial wind turbines may result in $27 million property value decline 

For every flawed study the Big Wind industry presents with no real loss of property value resulting from massive turbines, there are 10 more studies indicating that is definitely not the case.

Wind leases continue to be gathered in townships surrounding the rural Tiffin area. There will be over a thousand homes within two miles of the 600-652 foot, skyscraper-size turbines. Home values will decline on average 25 percent within a 2 MILE radius of the turbines in a “Wind Farm” (ref. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13).

The median home value in Seneca county is $108, 381, and in Sandusky County it is $123,145 (ref. 10, 11).

If we take the lowest median home value of $108,381 and factor a modest 25 percent loss that would be $27,095 per home. The conservative estimated loss of property value within the Tiffin area alone could easily exceed $27 million!

It’s important to note that ALL the studies sited for this article were based on industrial wind turbines that were 477 feet high or smaller. Industrial turbines proposed for the Tiffin area will be significantly bigger and louder. Also, the setbacks (how far a turbine can be from a property) were in some studies much further than the 1,125 ft. setback required by Ohio law currently.

Current Ohio setbacks (1,125 ft from the property) are the lowest in the four-state region and significantly lower than other European countries that require a 1.5- to 3-mile setback on average. Most states require a set-back distance of 3 times the turbine length for safety reasons (ref. 6, 8).

Additional costs to the community will be the increased insurance costs, burdened by leaseholders as a liability in the “Wind Farm” operation, which include effects such as blade throws, vibration, excessive sound levels, ground water contamination, stray voltage, shadow flicker, etc.

There will also be steeper declines for home values in “Good Neighbor Agreement-Wind Leases.”

Your county commissioners absolutely have the power to limit or stop these Wind Projects. Don’t let them throw you off like Shayne Thomas and Holly Stacy did for months to the residents in Seneca County. If you’re in Seneca County, email Ms. Stacy and Mr. Thomas today. Tell them to get out of the Alternative Energy Zone (AEZ) and intervene AGAINST these wind projects, NOT FOR them!

If your county is NOT in an AEZ they can negotiate better property tax arrangements and road use agreements, which may even deter the wind companies from continuing to pursue projects there. That has been the case in Hardin and Van Wert counties (ref. 5, 15).

Today the counties of Hardin and Van Wert have rescinded their AEZ contracts and have repelled further “Wind Project” proposals for the good of all their residents.

Public information meetings are planned at Bettsville American Legion, 323 State St., on Oct 23 at 6:30 p.m. and New Riegel American Legion, 20 South St. on Oct 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Deb Hay,

Resident-Seneca County

References

(1) http://iiccusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Values-in-the-Wind.pdf

(2) http://docs.wind-watch.org/AGO-WIND-TURBINE-IMPACT-STUDY.pdf

(3) http://www.reco.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/Fall-2011-FINAL.pdf

(4) https://wfin.com/local-news/wind-turbine-damaged-by-storm-in-hardin-county/

(5) http://www.fightthewind.com/news/2016/2/18/hardin-county-commissioners-rescind-aez

(6) http://kirbymtn.blogspot.com/2008/07/safe-setbacks-how-far-should-wind.htm

(7) https://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2015/09/23/do-wind-turbines-lower-property-values/

(8) https://docs.wind-watch.org/McCann-Setbacks-property-values.pdf

(9) http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2014/12/wind-farms-cause-property-value-to-tank-by-fifty-six-percent-in-vermilion-county-illinois/

(10) https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/county-median-home-prices-and-monthly-mortgage-payment

(11) https://www.zillow.com/erie-county-oh/home-values/

(12) https://ruralgrubby.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/chris-luxemburger-presentation1.pdf

(13) http://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/cm–pub–api/api/unwrap/chamber/132nd–ga/ready–for–publication/committee–docs/cmte–s–energy–nat–res–1/testimony/cmte–s–energy–nat–res–1–2018-06-20-0230–1476/testimonykitson.pdf

(14) http://xray.rutgers.edu/~matilsky/windmills/throw.html

(15) http://www.greenwichneighborsunited.com/lte-by-van-wert-county-commissioner-todd-wolfrum-a-must-read-2/

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[NWW ed. note: this item has been formatted for easier reading]