Yates residents are well within rights to be wary of wind turbine project

Posted 27 May 2017 at 10:25 am

Editor:

In response to some recent letters regarding the proposed wind turbine project in Somerset and Yates:

The “Town of Yates Moratorium on Wind Energy Facilities Law” enacted in April 2016 does not in any way shape or form prevent citizens from discussing wind turbines, writing about wind turbines, or demonstrating for or against wind turbines. Anyone who wants to read what the actual law contains can find it online in the Yates Town Board minutes.

Prior surveys have shown the majority of citizens of the towns of Somerset and Yates are opposed to an industrial wind facility in the proposed area. I am not sure why someone thinks this is “baloney” as it was well publicized at the time of the surveys. In addition, the last election was decidedly in favor of candidates who opposed the industrial wind turbine project.

An industrial wind facility will not bring any long term economic development to these towns. Nor will it bring any cheap electricity. It will bring concrete, noise, dust, road blockage and damage from heavy equipment. It will bring permanent blight in our rural setting. It will bring infrasound and shadow flicker to those living near these turbines. It will drive away potential residents. It will discourage tourism. Apex itself has said “possibly” 10 new jobs without any details at all. One of those jobs will be counting dead birds…. not exactly high paying and probably part-time. There is no guarantee from anyone that taxes will go down in any way. Any monies received must be divided between two towns, two counties, and two school boards.

Our school enrollment is on the decline because people are not moving into our towns now.

Having 60 to 70 700-foot tall wind turbines will not encourage new permanent residents. When property values decline because the wind turbines are constructed our tax base will be further eroded. Will the complainers about lake people be happy when their own taxes go up due to this erosion in our tax base?

I am tired of the insults to lake property owners, both year-round and summer residents, as if we are some alien scourge.  We pay our taxes like everyone else. We earn our living like everyone else. To my knowledge there are no money trees growing along Lake Ontario. We would like to see sustainable economic development in our town. As far as I am concerned Lyndonville is my home and I am offended by these repeated attacks just because we happen to own property on the lake. The disdain for ‘lake people’ coupled with the ludicrous assumption that SOS is only lake people and is backed by some big corporation is pathetic. The only big corporation in this scenario is APEX.

Those people requesting apologies from Town Board members should stand up at the next Town Board meeting and apologize for their insults to their fellow citizens who also worked hard all their lives and invested some of their earnings in Lyndonville because they want to live there.

Sincerely,

Susan Dudley

Tax-paying, lake-dwelling, Lyndonville-loving resident