Town Board of Prattsburgh May 11, 2008 Letter by Kerry and Stephanie Lipp

05/11/08

To the members of the Prattsburgh Town Board,

My husband and I were unable to attend the April 28th meeting regarding the Pratttsburgh Comprehensive Planning Committee's Draft Proposal. We do have a copy of the proposal, and after reading it, we have many questions and concerns.

We understand that members of the public, including tax-paying citizens, were told they were not to ask questions or make comments regarding the industrial wind turbines and how that will affect the future of Prattsburgh. How can this be, especially in light of the fact that in the opening letter to "Citizens of Prattsburgh", in the third paragraph it states: "Power-generating wind turbines are a reality on the ridges to the west, and, in part, their arrival prompted the creation of the special committee"? Why are the authors of this draft "allowed"
to mention the industrial wind turbines, while they attempt to silence others with very valid concerns? Since when does anyone on the Town Board have the right to behave as a fascist dictator would? You are obligated to answer any and all questions, and to allow citizens to speak their mind without being silenced as if they were naughty school children.

The very proposal that "Prattsburgh retain it's rural atmosphere" while the town has agreed to allow the building of an industrial wind complex is at best contradictory, and at worse unbelievably unrealistic. The proposed wind complex will render any hope of a continued "rural" atmosphere an absolute impossibility.

How tragic that the Town Board has sold out to these corporate thieves who have come here under the guise of providing "clean" energy. There are too many unanswered questions about this proposed project to justify ruining what has taken hundreds of thousands of years for the earth to create here. Prattsburgh is an extension of the Finger Lakes Region, an area many have called the "Switzerland of America".

Your comprehensive planning board needs to look at how other communities in this region have sent these multi billion corporations on their way, not willing to destroy something so precious. It's laughable that anyone would ever consider Prattsburgh a "tourist destination" if this project is allowed to proceed.

In addition, we'd like you all to know that many opposed to industrial turbines are very aware of the problems associated with our current dependence on coal, nuclear power, and oil (foreign or domestic). My husband and I have been looking at alternative energy sources for years, and are slowly but surely working towards getting "off the grid". Photovoltaic/solar energy is a viable and much more workable solution for individual homes, and not only will we be reducing our carbon emissions drastically, the enormous amount of money we save won't be going to giant corporations.
Sincerely,

Kerry and Stephanie Lipp
6180 Cook School Rd.
Pattsburgh, NY
607-522-3593