Shelby says no to overlay district needed for 2 tall turbines

Photo simulation provided by Borrego Solar System Inc.: This viewpoint from Blair Road shows two 633-foot-high wind turbines proposed off Route 63, south of the Village of Medina.

SHELBY – Town officials declined to create an overlay district that would be needed to allow two wind turbines over 600 feet tall.

Borrego Solar System Inc. has been working to have two turbines along Route 63, south of the village of Medina. The turbines would peak at 633 feet.

Borrego asked the Town Board to create a wind overlay district that would require rezoning. The board discussed the letter from Borrego during its March 12 meeting, and no board members introduced an amendment to the current zoning law.

Town Supervisor Scott Wengewicz said he didn’t support the rezoning, and the four other board members – Linda Limina, Jeff Schiffer, Steve Seitz and Eddie Zelazny – all said they weren’t in favor of making the zoning change to allow the turbines.

Borrego last month had two balloons up in an along Route 63 to show the height of two wind turbines proposed by the company. That height alarmed many members of the community. Many residents signed a petition opposing the project.

During a hearing about environmental impacts with the two turbines in September 2022, residents said the 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.

Renewable energy projects that are more than 25 megawatts go to the state for review. Projects under 25 MWs go to review by a local government.

Wengewicz, the Shelby town supervisor, believes the project can’t move forward with the denial of the overlay district.

“They need a wind overlay district but no one was willing to do it,” Wengewicz said on Friday. “No one was interested in adopting the resolution so the project died.”