Balloons in Shelby show height of 2 proposed turbines peaking at 633 feet

Photos by Tom Rivers

SHELBY – Two balloons went up in Shelby today in an orchard along Route 63 to show the height of two wind turbines proposed by Borrego Solar System Inc.

The turbines would be located on land owned by the Smith family, south of the village of Medina. The turbines would peak at 633 feet.

The balloons are shown high in the sky from the Tops parking lot looking south from Maple Ridge Road. John Parada, a resident of nearby Furness Parkway, was in the parking trying to take photos of the balloons. They were hard to see looking into the bright sun.

Parada said he is concerned the turbines will loom large from nearby properties, and could cause property values to plummet.

He was surprised when he pulled into the Tops parking lot and saw how big the turbines would stand.

“You go to Tops and you’ll be staring right at them,” Parada said.

This photo is on Route 63 in Shelby Basin, looking north. One of the balloons is clearly visible.

The two balloons were up from noon to 2 p.m. today, and needed approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Town Supervisor Scott Wengewicz said the town requested the two balloons go up to show the height of the turbines from different vantage points in the community.

Borrego hasn’t notified the town when the company plans to complete an environmental study, the State Environmental Quality Review Act. Borrego and Shelby held a hearing on that in September 2022, but it was tabled at 10 p.m. and hasn’t been continued.

Residents at that hearing said the two turbines would alter the landscape visually, and also potentially harm residents with shadow flicker, noise, lower property values and other impacts. They also worry the turbines are in a major migratory bird path.

The turbines as proposed would take up a half-acre and have the capacity to generate 8.4 megawatts of power.