Yates has plenty of options besides turbines, which would forever scar the community
Editor:
Tuesday is an extremely important day that will determine the future of the Town of Yates. My name is John Riggi and I am the endorsed Republican Candidate for Yates Town Council. As the endorsed candidate, I urge every registered voter to vote on Election Day, Nov. 3. Your vote is critical!
As you may also know, I am opposed to the Apex Lighthouse Wind project. The Apex Lighthouse Wind issue has expanded into every fiber that is life in this wonderful town. Fact remains, this proposed Industrial Wind Turbine Emplacement Project will forever scar this wonderful place visually, environmentally and socially in ways that will never heal.
However, we have options.
Meaningful economic development is critical to the future of Yates and turbines do not fit the definition of meaningful development. Especially when meaningful development is defined as long term improvement in the quality of life of all residents and a growing tax base.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Thursday, October 7th that 1366 Technologies, a manufacturer of technologies for the solar energy industry, will establish its first large commercial Direct Wafer„¢ production plant and significantly grow its workforce at the high-tech Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park in Alabama, Genesee County. Construction of the manufacturing facility will require two phases during which the company will create at least 1,000 new jobs within a 30 minutes commute Yates.
STAMP project final growth vector indicates 10,000 local jobs to be created at the site from numerous hi-tech business anchors.
The New York State incentive package includes up to $56.3 million and up to 8.5 megawatts of low-cost hydropower. As we have always known, there is significant hydropower capacity in Western New York and it is proven by the use of low cost hydropower to drive this largest economic development project in Genesee County history.
The approval of the STAMP project and its use of low-cost hydropower is of significant interest to the Town of Yates. 1366 Technologies will utilize this low-cost power to recruit and employ high tech, engineering personnel at a $100,000 average annual salary.
They will be spending that $100,000 average wage on homes, schools, goods and services. The competition for those people and dollars will be fierce and Yates needs to be prepared to compete for those people and dollars.
The STAMP Project illustrates one of those options available to the Town of Yates as an option much more suited to our, very unique area of New York State. And there are others as well. However, we need to resolve the turbine issue once and for all in order to move forward into the future.
The Town of Yates needs a plan to take advantage of the economic development opportunities such as the STAMP project. Otherwise, a wind turbine wasteland is our future.
The future of Yates is at stake and will be decided on Nov. 3, 2015.
There is much work to do, but we have a tremendous set of resources at our disposal to drive Yates into a successful future. I promise the constituents of the Town of Yates that I will work diligently to make use of our resources and town laws to guarantee an ever-improving Town of Yates.
John Riggi
Yates
President of Save Ontario Shores and candidate for Yates Town Board
