The Springwater Preservation Committee

Springwater Preservation Committee

For the Record…

This note was read and presented at the December 12th Public Hearing Meeting on the proposed WECS ordinance

Town of Springwater Public Hearing

Local Law # 1 for year 2005

Wind Energy Conversions Systems

In December of 2004, I attended the open house at the Lodge at Punky Hollow hosted by PPM Atlantic Renewable Energy Corporation, Bill Moore and Neil Habig. At that time I became concerned as did many others in attendance of the possible negative impact a wind farm may have on our personal safety, health, and property values.

Since then informational meetings have been held on these and many other issues to inform the general public, by the Springwater Preservation Committee and the Town Board. There was also a public hearing held by the Town Board to hear concerns from the general public on a proposed 6 month moratorium . Of all who attended the public hearing, 197 property owners were in favor while 43 where opposed. In spite of the overwhelming numbers of property owners in favor the Town Board voted 3 to 2 to reject the moratorium.

Now, nearly a year later the Town Board will vote on a local law for Wind Energy Conversions Systems in the town of Springwater. My expectation is that this law will pass by a 3 to 2 vote in favor of by the Town Board. Although this law fails to include sufficient provisions to protect residents nearest the WECS site, perhaps it is better than no law at all.

Surveys suggest that citizens and government officials should recognize that the potential impairment of property values is inherently difficult to evaluate in advance. Generally, the impact of a large development such as a “Wind Farm” on property values does not become clear until after the project is in place and the market value of property in the area becomes known through actual sales of land and homes.

In a recent letter from Mike Keenan of the Keenan Group Realtors to a client regarding the impact of proposed Wind Mills and how they will affect area real estate value, Mr. Keenan offered his professional opinion. “ I have been licensed as a Real Estate Broker in the State of New York since 1967 and over the years, have been given hundreds of appraisal assignments by banks, attorneys, courts, etc. and have been involved in thousands of sales of Real Estate Property in Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, Stueben, Livingston and Yates Counties. It is my professional opinion that a single wind mill constructed with in site of improved or unimproved property will cause a decrease in value of those properties. The closer to the Wind Mill, the greater the decrease in value. Buyers, given the opportunity, have and will choose to purchase based on neighborhood appeal and given two like properties, one within site of an unnatural structure and one with a natural landscape, they will all ways be willing to pay more for the natural landscape. ”

In my opinion property owners within view of these wind turbines can only expect to see a decrease in the fair market value of their property should they be installed. This is only one of many issues where this local law fails to provide sufficient protection for property owners.

It may be of little or no consequence to those who do not live near or with in view of these Industrial Wind Turbines, however my wife and I believe it is of grave consequence.

Apparently that is of no concern for 3 out of the 5 Town Board members who continue to believe this project is in the best interest of the town.

Russell Dudash

Springwater, N.Y.

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