WHO EXACTLY IS BUILDING A BETTER WHEEL? by Bonnie Palmiter

In a newspaper article Jack Zigenfus was quoted as “We can always come out with a better wheel, and that’s basically what we’re trying to do. We want to have the best law.”

Why wouldn’t the best law have been where the Planning Board started, changing the noise dbs to 35? Why wouldn’t the best law have kept the height restriction to 400’ to 425’ where the Planning Board lowered it until ONE Planning Board member made it such a big deal that it be kept at 500 feet. One comment that made me laugh was that 75’ wouldn’t be that big a deal, add another 75’ to your home and you’ll see what a difference it makes. If Jack wants to have the best law why wouldn’t the set backs of these turbines be from property line ONLY, not 1500 feet from your residence where you will have to sign a waiver if you are to put anything on your own property.

The best law would be protecting all landowners by moving a set back from the property line only, not the residence. By placing a law into effect 1500 feet from a residence, 1 ½ times the turbine from property line is taking our constitutional right to do what we want on our own property away. Having to sign a waiver is telling the landowner there are dangers to wind turbines and we are not going to be held responsible for any damages incurred.

One of biggest changes was the enforcement section for charging someone who violates the law from $250 to $1,000. The town seems to be doing this for money so this shouldn’t be a problem, make the developer and lease owner adhere to the zoning law or pay the town. This shouldn’t be a problem; if UPC is such an honest developer they won’t have a problem with going by the law.

OH, that’s right, they haven’t done that yet have they, they didn’t get the special use permits for the meteorological towers, they haven’t dismantled one of the towers they put up without a permit, that the zoning board of appeals said needed to be taken down yet and that has been over a month now. So the $1,000 fine sounds pretty good to me.

The Town of Cohocton has at least one person on the Planning Board and one on the Town Board that seem to be more interested in UPC’s interest instead of the Towns, they seem to shoot down many suggestions made to protect residents living near this industry.

I have sat through meetings where one planning board member tries to be just as rude as she possibly can to anyone that might have a statement, snicker, or nodding of the head. She turns and states, she won’t tolerate this, and then brings in Sheriffs and State Troopers to intimidate the audience. It seems that people who are against wind turbines are not worthy of respect, yet if you’re for them you better be respected or else we will write articles in the Valley News or get up at a Board Meeting and state, “CWW is using Bullying and Intimidation Tactics.” Now lets see having an off duty Sheriff, two on duty Sheriffs and State Troopers at a Planning Board meeting is called what????

I have sat through meetings where one Board Member states that he is trying to insult the anti-wind people with his little cartoons and writings. If it hits a nerve he is pleased with himself. He is apparently the only one that feels he is doing his research and visits to other wind farms and therefore he knows what is best for the Town of Cohocton. If he has done his research I would like to know why the Town Board still hasn’t gotten a copy of UPC’s wind data from the meteorological towers to indeed do their homework on this data. One would have to speculate that these towers never needed to be put up because the data is not important enough to evaluate. Then one would also have to speculate that the tower they were ordered to take down would stand just like the wind turbines will when they are found to be unproductive.

In closing, It has been 5 months now that my husband and I have asked the Planning Board, The Board and their lawyers, why our names along with our land, tax number are on a Building Permit. Still have nothing in writing to telling us what this is about, therefore we have to assume that UPC, and The Board have plans for our land. How many others out there in the town of Cohocton have their names on this permit without even knowing it! I feel that we deserve a written response to this question even if you feel you’re doing this for the good of the Town. Step up to the plate gentlemen and be accountable to ALL CITIZENS OF THE TOWN OF COHOCTON, just not a few.