Wind Turbine Special Permit Approved
RICHFIELD, N.Y. (WKTV) - The town of Richfield's Planning Board voted Tuesday night 3 to 2 to approve a special permit to allow the construction of six wind turbines in the town.
Monticello Hills Wind, LLC., applied to the town to build six wind turbines, and then sell electricity from them.
While wind turbines offer a more green source of energy, many residents filled the town hall protesting the proposed construction, even violating fire code capacity and forcing the meeting to be moved to a a nearby church.
While many people held signs showing that they were strongly against the turbines, some came to support the project like Elaine Sheldon-Moyer, from Stark, who having gone to school in Richfield has seen the town go through many changes and thinks that the wind turbines would show that Richfield was thinking forward.
"Back 60 years ago it was the same thing when electricity came in, people didn't want electric, they didn't want the poles, they didn't want anything and if it wasn't for that stuff we wouldn't have anything now," says Sheldon-Moyer.
However many people are afraid the wind turbines could not only decrease property values and scenic views, but they could also be harmful to nearby residents health and the environment.
"The sad thing is that the turbine companies want people to believe that you're either for them or you're anti-green and that's just not so," says Mark O'Sullivan. "If you do your own research you end up finding that they end up destroying a lot of the environment creating the parts and components of one turbine than it will ever save in its lifespan."
Richfield Planning Board's approval of the project was a two step process, first the they needed to determine if the wind turbines posed a significant environmental impact, then they decided whether or not to grant the special use permit.
While Tuesday night's vote passed with the planning board, construction isn't starting yet, the Richfield Town Board still needs to sign off on a host agreement.