Spa hearing on wind moratorium Thurs.

3/17/2010

By Patsy Nicosia

Sharon Springs will consider a six-month moratorium on wind power at a 7pm hearing this Thursday at the Municipal Building.
The Village of Sharon Springs and the Town of Sharon share a Joint Planning Board.
Ray Parsons, Joint Planning Board chairman, said the issue of industrial wind turbines has generated so much discussion in nearby communities that Sharon feels it’s a good time to see what sort of controls they already have in place.
“It’s been discussed before, but now seems like a good time to take a step back,” Mr. Parsons said.
“It’s certainly not our intent to prevent wind projects, but we need to take a look at what controls we already have.”
Mr. Parsons said planners are working with Schoharie County Planning and Development on the topic; they’re also looking at wind laws other communities—like Cherry Valley—have put together.
Not nearly as contentious, if only because exploration hasn’t gone anywhere locally, is drilling for natural gas.
Mr. Parsons said planners have also discussed what sort of regulations they might want to consider there and that’s something they might also be taking a closer look at.
“The problem is, we take our lead from the state and because they don’t regulate it yet, there’s not a thing we can regulate,” he said.
One exception, he added, might be that of compensation or reparation for something like damage to local roads.
This Thursday’s village hearing on the wind moratorium will take place at 7pm in the meeting room of the Village/Town Municipal Building at the library.
The town will hold its own hearing on April 5.