Board to review moratorium petition

CAPE VINCENT — A petition with more than 650 signatures was submitted at the Town Board meeting Thursday asking officials to enact a one-year, townwide moratorium on wind development.

The board is considering a six-month moratorium for the lakefront and riverfront districts, but took no action regarding any moratorium on wind development at a meeting.

"Most people feel that this limited moratorium is not effective," said David LaMora, a town resident who submitted the petition Thursday.

The county Planning Board also recently recommended a townwide moratorium instead of the proposed limited moratorium at its meeting July 28.

"The county Planning Board stepped out of line to make that decision," town Supervisor Thomas K. Rienbeck said Thursday.

Mr. Rienbeck promised the town board will review the petition, but said officials do not plan to enact a townwide moratorium. He said there were no valid reasons for having a townwide wind ban.

"The wind companies are at least a year away from getting any kind of approval," Mr. Rienbeck said. "I can't personally see how it will benefit any of us."

The proposed six-month waterfront moratorium, on the other hand, would prevent town residents from erecting personal wind turbines along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River while the town drafts a law to regulate wind development, he said.

"We've already had four request for personal wind turbines," Mr. Rienbeck said.

The waterfront districts run north of Route 12E east of the village, and to County Route 6 north of Mud Bay west of the village.

Mr. Rienbeck said the town's attorneys at Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna, Albany, are fine-tuning a new wind law, and he hopes to see the law adopted before the end of this year.

Art Pundt, a town resident, said it only took about two to three weeks for about 15 volunteers to gather 665 signatures. He said the volunteers gathered the petitions from a cross-section of town residents, and he believes most of the town residents, and not only the "anti-wind people," want a townwide moratorium.

Mr. LaMora said the town board should schedule a public hearing on a wind moratorium before Labor Day, when the summer residents start to leave. No such hearing is scheduled.

The next town council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 10 at the town office on Route 12E.