Potential Wind Development Setback Map

A few days ago the Cape Vincent zoning committee met and started a conversation on regulating industrial wind development in CV.    Several setbacks were proposed.  These weren't the only regulations or setbacks but will be the ones we will look at here for now because the others were vague at this point.

3 miles from the Lake Ontario shore.
3 miles from the St. Lawrence River shore.
1.5 miles from State Rt. 12 E.

The 3 mile setback from the lake will be interesting for siting because the lake shore line is far more irregular with points and bays than the River. There was a proposed 1.5 mile setback from Rt. 12E since it is both a national scenic byway and the Scenic Seaway Trail.  However, I am assumming that this would apply only to the inland side of 12E in certain places since the 3 mile setback along the River and in places along the Lake already would override the 1.5 mile setback.  And you would not need it either side of 12E since as I said the Lake side is basically taken care of by the 3 mile regulation.  However, the zoning committee needs to rethink the 1.5 mile setback from the scenic byways.  1.5 miles protects NOTHING visually with 400 to 500 ft turbines.  Just look at Wolfe Island at over 2 miles.  This 1.5 miles escapes me as serious protection. 

Included here is a rough drawn map based on these regulations and what is left to accommodate wind development based only on these setbacks, realizing that there are other parameters as well.  If you take this into account and the visual protections suggested for the Cape Vincent Island viewsheds, that is suggested to keep turbines out of view...then guess what you have...you have basically a turbine BAN!!! Otherwise you have this area shoved way back in the town, as you see in the hashed area.

I have done some rough tests and studies on the views from the River and Lake and the CV Islands.  To keep modern industrial wind turbines out of view they couldn't  be more that about 100 to 150 tall by my estimates to not be seen.  Now do the math, because BP wants 400 and 500 ft turbines that you can't hide from the CV islands or Wolfe Is. for that matter.  No matter how far back in the town you shove them, even right up to the Lyme and Clayton town lines you will see them like sore thumbs. So if you make this no view from the islands regulation stick, this alone precludes modern wind turbine placement in CV.  So like I said you basically have a BAN.  It's just more lipstick on the pig to try to disguise it that way.

But let's review some history.  I expressed concerns before the elections both 2009 and 2011 that turbines were going to get shoved back away from both shores and onto the people in the CV interior.  And guess what...that is exactly where we are by the current discussion on the zoning committee. Look at the map and you can see how the only solid setbacks they discussed will work out.

Now another point here is that I have taken a lot of grief over my approach to prohibit industrial wind turbines.  Some people claim it is just an irrational not well thought out or researched position.  Really????  Well where is this new magical 3 mile setback coming from?  Or the ridiculous 1.5 miles from, 12E. It is a arbitrary number coming from somebodies head.  Explain that one to the court or A-10 siting board. Somebody want to give me the research on that nonsense!!!! This is completely arbitrary.  Where is the science on this one?  And it doesn't even protect the migratory flyway concerns which I have heard are supposed to be something like 6 miles. Wonder how an Article X siting board is going to look at these arbitrary setbacks, or the court?  Who in God;s name said to this zoning committee that the science says that you put a modern industrial wind turbine 1.5 or 3 miles back and you have solved your visual  viewshed problems.  It's ludicrous.  If this is the "science and research" Wiley at JLL and our board and zoning committee have been telling us will defend us against Article X and the court...well then I  have news for you...we better get some better experts!!!!

You might better take my prohibit approach and back it with some impartial scientific visual studies, and conclude that a modern wind turbine can not be sited in CV and be hidden or mitigated in any manner, whether you have 1, 5, 10 or if you have about 80 of them.  Then back this with the visual impact studies already done in the BP and Acciona DEIS that clearly state that  their turbines will dominate the town's landscape as the most noticeable visual element and out of context to the traditional landscape.  Then back that with our zoning laws where the planning board has the power to deny any project of which the impacts can not be mitigated.  Well if there is any project for which you can't mitigate it is 400 ft or 500 ft industrial wind turbines, and NO setback within our town borders is going to mitigate that impact. Certainly not these ridiculous 3 miles setbacks. Put this all together and the rational conclusion is to prohibit what can't be mitigated, not try to mitigate what can't be mitigated with some arbitrary ridiculous 1.5 or 3 miles setback.   Who are they trying to kid!!!  Maybe the next zoning meeting should be held at the CV ferry landing so the committee can be reminded of the unmitigated Wolfe Is. view and how far away it is!!

Industrial Wind Turbines on Wolfe Island.  Visually mitigated?...get real!!!!