Zoning Notes - The Cape Vincent Islands Zoning District

As we all know Cape Vincent has several islands in the Lake and River.  Here is a quote from CV zoning about the Island District.

"The land-use plan for this District is focused principally on encouraging quality residential development ..."

Very good I would agree with that.  In fact I agree with a lot of our zoning and think it and the comp plan was basically well done...except zoning and accommodating industrial wind.

However, the Islands District is an absolutely  prime example of how traditional district zoning fails
when monster industrial wind turbines are introduced into the land use  mix.

The island properties are extremely visually sensitive because some  look back at the CV mainland across large flat expanses of water, which will exaggerate the impact of any high structure on land.  And any island shore property looking inland will also get an exaggerated height view since any object or tower can be elevated on terrain 100 or more ft. from the viewers shore level.  A simple boat ride looking back at CV will show this effect by looking at existing structures like the prison water tower, the CV water tower, radio and cell towers and of course the new wind company met towers.

And where are most island properties?   Most are near the island shore taking advantage of scenic water views.  There is little if anything that can be done to mitigate the view of tall structures on the mainland...especially numerous 500 ft. turbines with bright red flashing lights and huge spinning rotors.  Placing them 2 miles from the mainland shore is NOT going to help, even thought that 2mile placement wasn't even a scenic consideration...go figure!!!  .  And people on the island shore are not going to want to plant trees to block the turbines AND their water view that they paid dearly for!

The CV zoning  also allows huge wind industrial wind turbines.  And if you look at a USGS topo map you can see those wind turbines will be placed in areas inland a good 100 ft. or more above water level.  So for an Island District shore observer a 500 ft. wind turbine back on the mainland is in effect 600 ft. or more above the water.  I did considerable study on this early on in 2006 when wind became controversial.  If you want to get a taste of the impact take a boat ride around the N. side of Carleton Is. and look at what those island shore properties look at in the Wolfe Is. Wind Farm. There views, particularly the scenic sunset views have been radically altered.

ANY wind development in CV is going to highly impact the Island views, particularly the S. shore of Carleton Island...not to mention Wolfe Is. which has no control over our zoning at all.  Like us looking at them, they will be stuck with whatever we do.

So here we have zoned the Island Districts for high quality residential uses, yet in another complete district (res. ag.) we allow huge industrial wind turbines that will  be seen from the islands and any other district and will likely reduce property values of island properties, even a few turbines.  Point being the districts will not provide sufficient mitigation or protections because the bottom line is these industrial monsters are just too damn BIG to be zoned like they are houses, decks, or trailer parks!

 Separation by traditional district zoning miserably fails!!!  And we are not splitting zoning hairs here, it is OBVIOUS it fails (once again, look a cross the river!!!)  Yet in our irrational panic over Article 10 and even before, we just move ahead and zone for these industrial wind monsters anyhow, when they have completely rearranged the zoning paradigm.

Prohibiting them is the only rational answer...especially in our topography!

Zoning note to town board:  A house and a monster wind turbine are radically different structures, in case you haven't noticed.  District, and traditional zoning has no relevant application to zoning 500 ft. monster industrial structures with huge spinning rotors and bright flashing night lights.

The State, on wind regulation, has you chasing a zoning paradigm that is a complete failure!
 

 

My simulated 400 ft. wind turbine compared to the

prison water tower.  Picture taken from near

Wolfe Is.

 

 

 

2008 accurate  engineering  simulation done for me by a Univ.

of Maryland engineer of the old Acciona 96 turbine proposal.

Photo location is off Dodge Bay.

 

 

 

View of Wolfe Is, Wind Plant.

 

The back turbines in this  view is similar to what property owners

on the S. side of Carleton Island will see with

our current CV zoning for industrial wind.

 

Good luck with that!!!