What Would Wind Turbines Look Like Here in North East?

Until the wind turbines are installed at any location, it’s difficult to imagine what the completed project will look like. Our best clue is to look at installations in other communities around the country. Both New York and Wisconsin have had turbines installed in close proximity to populated areas, not an ideal situation, but it’s the sort of project being considered for North East. Most of the residents in those areas had no idea how close the towers could be to their homes.

Think about how close you would want to be to these turbines if you decided not to place them on your land. Think about what the turbines will do to the view in North East. Consider what the effect would be on your property value, if you chose to sell your home. If someone was looking at two identical houses, one with a wind turbine close by and another one without, which one do you think would attract the buyers?

These are problems that occur when a technology, ideally suited for very sparsely populated areas, is introduced into communities where houses are closer together. In North East, farms are intermixed with residential areas and individual homes where the residents will feel the impact of these wind turbines whether they want them on their own property or not. A setback of 1500 feet, a number proposed at the last township meeting, doesn’t begin to isolate the turbine from neighbors, it will still appear as the imposing and gigantic structure that it is.

Wind turbines are almost unique in the visually intrusive effect they have on the surrounding area, more so, even, than another structure of similar height. The difference is they move, constantly, anytime the wind is blowing. When you combine the movement with their extreme height (500 feet), and their very long blades, you’ve created a long moving shadow which is cast upon anything on the side opposite the sun. During sunrise and sunset, the shadow, known as flicker or the strobe effect, can make living in a house affected by it, visually nerve racking, it’s like someone turning the lights in the room on and off constantly until the sun has risen or set and no longer shines through the blades.

Visual impact is just one of the effects of these wind turbines and in the following articles, we’ll consider many more, some of which, most people would have never thought of.

Remember, if you want to have your voice heard on this issue, please attend the supervisors meeting on April 15th or contact the supervisors and zoning administrator through the contact methods listed on the right.

Photo credits: Better Plan Wisconsin