More Zoning Notes to Cape Vincent - Visual Impact of Industrial Wind Turbines

Actually this is one area where I will let the wind companies themselves explain to you why traditional zoning does not work to effectively mitigate industrial wind development, especially the visual impact.

Below are quotes from the Acciona and BP previous SEQR visual impact studies.

BP:

"Measured from the ground to the tip of an extended blade, each wind turbine would be

up to 420 feet high and visible from numerous locations in the surrounding area.  The

height and density of the turbines would make them a focal point and would change the visual character of the town."

 

 

Acciona:

The introduction of large, clearly man-made structures creates an obvious disruption of

the planar agricultural landscape. The well-defined vertical form of turbines on the

horizon introduces a contrasting and distinct perpendicular element into the landscape.

The proposed turbines would be the tallest visible elements within view and will be

disproportionate to other elements on the regional landscape. The distribution of turbines

across an extended area would result in the proposed Project being perceived as a highly

dominant visual element. The moderately paced sweeping rotation of the turbine blades

would heighten the conspicuity of the turbines; no matter the degree of visibility.

Now keep clearly in mind that the turbines being discussed here  in this old environmental study are about 400 ft. high.   BP is now proposing 500 ft. turbines.  The BP turbines now propose will reach just short of 1/10th of mile into the sky!!!  Think about that for a minute. 

 

Maybe the town board and their zoning expert  lawyer should sit down with BP and discuss the visual impacts  Apparently BP and Acciona gets what the town board doesn't comprehend.

 

Essentially what BP and Acciona were telling us that our board and other towns don't get is  that you can't  effective "zone" for the visual impact because our turbines are going to dominate your community and completely change it's character!!!  Yet our town board thinks a 1.25 mile distance from the Seaway Trail is sufficient scenic protection!!!  Go figure!!!

 

Pretty disturbing when the wind companies get it and say it right up front and our town board doesn't.  Not to mention that their  zoning lawyer won't defend a law that would restrict or zone out something because we don't like the way it look...

 

...apparently even if it completely visually dominates our town and will completely change its character.

 

So to appease Art. X we just ignore what the wind companies freely admit will happen to the visual resources of our town!

 

And why is that, that the wind companies can say this right up front with no fear.  Well first they can't hide it, and second they know everyone is petrified to deal with the visual issue because it won't look "reasonable".

 

Yup... that makes perfect sense to me!!!