Prattsburgh, N.Y.
The Prattsburgh town board agreed 3-2 Tuesday night to delay a decision on a moratorium on wind farm construction, giving developer EcoGen until April 3 to answer questions.
The board’s vote came after a lengthy written statement and motion read by town Councilman Stacey Bottoni, outlining concerns and reasons to delay the temporary ban.
Bottoni and Quigley met with EcoGen representatives last week in order to question the project, Bottoni said.
EcoGen plans to set up 16 turbines in the town and claims it must go forward in order to secure the project’s financing.
Bottoni said town Supervisor Harold McConnell and Councilman Sharon Quigley were in agreement with her statement. They voted in favor of the proposal.
Their concerns included noise levels reported at the nearby First Wind wind farm, liability in the event of a tower collapse and financial incentives for the town, Bottoni said.
Bottoni said the town should take the time to resolve its issues with EcoGen before considering legal action. She said the town should aggressively pursue answers and consider a moratorium if it is not “fully satisfied” with EcoGen’s response.
The motion also dismissed environmental attorney Gary Abraham as special counsel, in favor of town Attorney John Leyden.
Councilmen Chuck Shick and Steve Kula, who voted against the plan, tried, but failed to add to the motion issues they have raised in the past regarding the project, in particular the current setback of 800 feet from a residence.
Abraham’s request to comment was denied because he was no longer the town’s special counsel.
Kula objected to the swift adjournment of the meeting, which immediately followed the 3-2 vote in favor of the delay.
He said later it made no sense to cut short the meeting when representatives from all sides, including EcoGen, were present at the meeting.
“We weren’t allowed to discuss anything,” Kula said.
EcoGen officials declined to comment after the meeting.
The board’s action follows nearly a month of confusion regarding the EcoGen project.
Matters reached a head March 3 when wind developer EcoGen notified town officials it would sue the board if their decision on building permits was delayed.
The board declined to act, citing the need to study new concerns on health and safety associated with turbines. However, on March 10 the code enforcement officer was directed to send EcoGen a letter indicating no permits were required.
Last week, board members hired environmental attorney Abraham as their special wind counsel and agreed to draft a 6-month moratorium. A day later, EcoGen representatives met with Quigley and Bottoni.
After EcoGen presents its information to the board and the public April 3, the board will set a date to determine further action.
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