680-foot high turbines are too tall for rural Barre

Editor:

Did you know that the Washington Monument is the 3rd tallest monument in the United States at 554 feet tall, the Statue of Liberty stands 305 feet and is the 5th tallest monument in the United States, and the tallest skyscraper in Rochester is the Xerox building which stands 443 feet?

Now imagine the size of a 680-foot wind turbine next to your home. Imagine living in a township that wants to place several wind turbines close to 700 feet tall, taller than all of the landmarks that I have previously mentioned, near your home?

What if these wind turbines were known in the past to be cause controversy over health concerns from actual persons who have lived through the experience of having them near their homes? What if you have tried to voice your concerns to some town board members who seems to disregard your concerns, who don’t return your calls, and change zoning laws to accommodate a company instead of the people that it serves?

As a long-term resident of the Town of Barre, I feel let down by some of our present board members and our Town Supervisor. That is why I am urging voters to make a difference and get out and vote for Solazzo, McKenna and Waters.

While many will benefit financially for signing leases with the turbine company, what happens to the value of the homes that will be surrounded by them? Who is going to protect the investments of the common working class people who have worked and invested all of their lives in maintaining their homes, not only for comfort, but for the benefit of maybe one day having to sell their property and be entitled to earn the most that they can gain from the sale?

Will the town reimburse the homeowners for any loss of value once the turbines are installed? While real estate in Orleans County is moving very well, do people really think that placing 680′ wind turbines are going to draw buyers to purchase country homes here once they are erected and visible? If a buyer can purchase a comparable home in the country with a turbine next to them or one without a turbine next to it, which one do you think the buyer would purchase?  Who is going to protect us if we lose value in our homes through no fault of our own? Is the Town of Barre going to lower assessments if home value are affected by the turbines? Who is responsible for homes that won’t possible sell because they are surrounded by controversial wind turbines?

In the future, if the companies that made all of the promises to our community go out of business and sell out to other companies, doesn’t that leave the Town of Barre responsible for the mess they leave?

Families have already moved from Barre over concerns of the erection of wind turbines. Town of Barre people, have your voices and concerns heard! Make a difference and vote Solazzo, McKenna, and Waters. Our voices have gone unheard for way too long!

Susan Webster

Barre