Huntersland wind opponents will get one last chance to make their case tonight, Thursday.
Borrego Energy’s Dave Strong is expected to be at the Town of Middleburgh’s public hearing on the proposed project—again-- at 6pm at the Community Center.
He’s asked to share some projections of what the two proposed 640-foot high turbines could look like from different spots, one of the concerns raised by neighbors.
After that, there will be time for one last round of Q&A before Supervisor Wes Laraway and councilmen move onto a public hearing on a proposed condominium conversion law at 6:45pm, and then at 7pm, their regular meeting.
Since December, grassroots group, No Turbines Here, has been gathering information on industrial wind and sharing concerns over the proposed project’s impact on property values, roads, taxes, and more.
“We’ve left nothing on the field,” said neighbor Linda Blakely, one of the organizers.
“We have a lot at stake here and we’re very appreciative that the town’s so patiently listened to us.”
The Town of Middleburgh is nearing the end of a six-month moratorium on both wind measuring towers and turbines while the Planning Board takes a look at its laws.
Ms. Blakely said No Turbines Here would like to see those laws amended to set height limits on the turbines and establish minimums for how much wind energy goes back into the grid.
“We want farmers to be able to have smaller turbines that meet their needs,” she said, “but we don’t want them so big it changes everything for the rest of us.”
According to the Borrego website for the project, Go.BorregoEnergy.com/middleburgh, “the small-scale wind project consists of one or two wind turbines which will be thoughtfully sited on approximately five acres of land, in an upper field of a 100-acre hay field…”happily leased” by owners Fred and Barbara Echtner “in exchange for a stable 25+ year income, allowing them to keep their farm intact and preserve the land for farming operations—for this generation and the next.”
According to the Borrego website, the estimated--now outdated--timeline for the 672 Lawton Hollow Road, Middleburgh project is:
• Spring 2022: Install meteorological tower and begin permitting.
• Summer 2022: Complete permitting and electrical connection.
• Fall 2022: Submit building plans.
• Spring 2023: Construction begins.
Also according to the website, the project would provide “tax relief” to Middleburgh, Schoharie County, and the Middleburgh Central School District.
It doesn’t get specific, but any real tax breaks are unlikely.
According to the New York State Assessors Association, the state’s new model for both solar and wind projects significantly reduces the tax benefits they’ll generate—by as much as two-thirds.