Watch out Mason county

[Willy]

I went to the meeting last night 6-28 at West Shore CC for the hearing on Consumer Energy request for a special land use. I was certainly suprised by some of the comments. According to County ordinance the special land use can only be approved if the 9 conditions for the special use are met. When Jay Kilpatrick of Williams & Works, the zoning Planner gave his opinion to the County Board I was amazed at what he said and he used a straight face when he said it. He said the 500 ft. towers met the criterea to be allowed in the agricultural district when clearly, according to the County's own ordinance requirments, they did not. This man must be working for Consumers and as far as I am concerned has lost all credibility as far as representing the County.

According to many of the citizens who spoke, CE, did not contact them if they were not involved with lease agreements regarding easements, so many of the people were left out of the loop even though the towers would adversely affect their lives. It seems that the land owners who signed leases formed a "pool " orginaization to deal with the zoning and other dealings that would arise.

According to other citizens:

1. Lease signers are banned from discussing the terms of their leases due to a "gag" clause in their contracts. So much for transparancy.

2. Leases have been signed by land owners in Freesoil and CE, so this will not be the limit of these turbines. CE has plans to blanket the county with them. 

No. 2 is why I titled this discussion as such.

Every independent study that stated adverse affects to real estate values and affect to human health were denied by CE experts. It truly was an amazing show.

Below are links to photos showing the beautiful vistas now to be seen in SW Mason county where these towers will be installed, a total of 59 I believe. These vistas are a part of the history and makeup of what makes this area a great place to be and they will be forever altered if these towers are allowed to be installed. If the link doesn't work then see the photos over in the photo section.

http://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/photo/photo/listForContributor?scr...

 

 

 

[Robert]

Site map? If someone is interested one can be obtained from the FAA. Consumers will never make one available.

Noise? I have done a study in our township and a couple of things should be considered. Tire noise, a loud stereo,  a cow mooing, kids playing, are brief noise periods in a rural setting unless you choose to live near the freeway. Lawn mowers, leaf blowers, string trimmers, chain saws are sounds that are annoying but you know sooner of later it will stop. Wind turbine noise is 24/7. Some liken the noise to a refrigerator but even they shut off. Roll one in your living room and leave the door open.

Blade flicker? 10 days a year? You have been conned and common sense should tell you the sun shines more than ten days a year. You are informed all right. Put that myth in the file with “property values aren’t effected”.

Outsiders? I guess that would be directed at me. Only words of caution for the uninformed. Eye stands on the fact property owners should be able to do with their property as the see fit. Additional transmission lines? Where ever Consumers darn well pleases.

Informed? Google wind farms. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed around the country because communities were duped and lied to about how these things are in actuality. Big Wind is not your friend. 

Our community is in a battle with Duke Energy (the largest energy company in the US). Underhanded tactics, backroom deals (like your 2 million dollar gift) and secrecy. Again, I am not an anti-wind zealot but the M22 corridor (some say the most scenic drive in Michigan) isn’t the right place. Millions have been invested by the GTLC to preserve this pristine area from development and along comes Duke sneaking around. I suppose if you have condos, a Walmart, heavy traffic, than a little old wind farm is nothing. We have a gas station/party store, ice cream shop, a motel and a couple of churches, that’s it. That is why we choose to live here.

[XLFD]

To add to that Robert, is that I have not yet heard from anyone in our area that would label them as 'anti-wind'.  They just want the turbines to be safely set back from areas due to issues of safety, aesthetics, noise, flicker, et. al. 

The other side desires to paint the 'safe setback' crowd as anti-wind power Luddites.  Then they do not even seriously bother to address any of the points made by the rubes who believe all the sacrilege they find on websites which portray such problems that exist already on other wind farms, or whether safebacks make that much difference.  They will quote you all the utility-sponsored studies that prove they are harmless in every way.

The Wind companies try the same tactics the global-warming faithful try.  "Our science is better than your science."  Meanwhile, the experiments outcomes run counter to their dogma.

[Eye On Ludington]

Robert

 

Noise?  You presented legitimate concerns and I checked out some u-tube videos that discuss some of the health issues regarding noise.  I will post those u-tube links following my responses to you.

 

Blade Flicker?  This is briefly touched upon in one of the videos I will post.  The amount of flicker in any one general area could be compared to the quickness in which the sun settles down into Lake Michigan during our gorgeous West Michigan sunsets.  When that sun first hits the water it does not take long at all for it to completely disappear below the water line as it sets.  Another reasonable point is that the type of shadows that would cause 'flicker' would be minimal just after morning dawn and just before evening dusk because this is when the sun casts the longest shadows.  During most daylight hours shadows proably would not be an issue since sun is not casting long shadows. 

 

Outsiders?  No that was not directed at you personally.  It was directed to anyone and everyone who would never even see or hear a turbine because they are not even living in an area (anywhere) where the turbines would be placed.  If my neighbors were to erect such a structure next to my own property then I admit it would disturb me.  That does not mean I would automatically want to deprive him of his right to erect such a structure.  I just means it would disturb me and probably cause me to get involved in trying to stop it.

 

Informed?  Yes, but certainly not an expert and certainly not a know-it-all.  I believe constructive criticism leads to more in-depth research, and the result is a better understanding of both sides of an issue.

 

For those who take time to view the u-tube videos, I hope it provides a better understanding of the safety concerns.  And while I remain a supporter of private property rights, I hope it shows that I am not blindly biased in favor of wind turbines as has been insinuated by those who would rather I just shut up.  Health issues are serious, and as these videos (and many others) these health concerns are legitimate but the evidence is not entirely reliable yet and not fully understood.

 

Wind Turbines and Health Problems

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm0Oe8J6qT8

 

Doctor Talks about Health Effects of Wind Turbines

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xNo7tOImKA&feature=related

 

Wind Farms -- Eyesore or Savior?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsLbqtiuDGY&feature=related

 

 

[Willy]

XLFD

I'm not anti wind. I love the wind. I'm for on shore wind, off shore wind, in shore wind, out shore wind and even breaking wind. I'm just not in favor of the installation of 500 ft towers in beautiful country settings or in the waters of the Great Lakes.

[XLFD]

Agreed.  I would like to eventually see some small-scale wind energy projects throughout the county.  Ones that blend with the area, ran by people in the area,and that produce electricity for the area.  With no public money or subsidies, so that they can be run like a business, complete with competition and market principles.  Where success would be measured by self-sufficiency, not by how much additional tax base we can get to help create more subsidies. 

[Willy]

Recently I spent about 3 hours photographing the towers near Mcbain. I had a sensation I have not heard discussed. When I had left the area I had the same feeling I get after driving on a busy freeway. It was an erie feeling after spending time in the country side. The continuous motion of those blades may have triggered the response. Who knows, maybe I was having flashbacks of my mother in law staying for two weeks.

[Robert]

Hard to imagine:

 

The Michigan Wind Energy Resource Zone Board recommends 778 turbines for Benzie, Manistee and Leelanau Counties. Potential wind farm sites in Benzie County include some of the most beautiful parts of Joyfield, Blaine, Benzonia, Gilmore, Crystal Lake, Lake, Platte, and Almira townships. Wind farms decrease property values, hurt long-term employment, and the claimed “tax benefits” are merely a return of a fraction of the taxes we pay to subsidize the industry. Do we really want to support this industry?

[Eye On Ludington]

I spent about the same amount of time there photographing and I did not leave the area with any eerie feeling.  Actually, I came away with the feeling that that region was taking responsibility for giving back some of the energy they themselves use.  I felt a sense of pride in that area.

 

Also, there were very few 'For Sale' signs in that area for homes.  Apparently the residents who live among those towers are not trying to flee away.  And if you do check real estate online for that area, it is easy to see that homes that are for sale in that area have definitely held their value.

 

So what is it?  The fact is there are advantages and disadvantages to these towers.  Do we open our eyes to the one concept and close our eyes to the other?   Or do we become truly informed of all aspects and then try to make the best decisions possible?  Just asking.  No need to label me a troll for asking.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

You would not sell your home at a major loss either I don't suspect. I really hope you are not the only one with pride in that area after they have been there a while either. I just know how they are effecting the values in almost every market they enter. You only need to read a non environut website to see that is a fact.

[Eye On Ludington]

A high percentage of homes have decreased in value during this current recession.  My home has seen a 7% drop in value the past two years.  I do not live within at least 60 miles of a windfarm.  Should I conclude that not having a view of a wind turbine caused this discrease? 

The verdict whether Wind Turbines affect land values is still as vague as ever.  If you google "Wind Farm impact upon property values' and it is about 60%-40% sites that having statistics showing Wind Farms do not negatively affect land values.  Should I believe the 60% or should I believe the 40%.   And roughly half of the 40% against are merely opinions and contain no research at all.

Wouldn't a better method be to research recent homes sold within vicinity of Wind Turbines and also research recent home sold that are not within vicinity of Wind Turbines, and then compare the two to learn if the Wind Turbine homes were more negative than the non Wind Turbine homes?

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

LOL at mother in law feelings Willie but yeah there are some intangible esthetic issues, which make wind turbines a bad fit for our commercial appeal. Being intangable by definition, make them hard to prove or disprove with numbers you may research, with all the research coming from interests that want those things placed here now wouldn't they?

[Robert]

Blade flicker: Do you actually expect me to believe your synopsis comparing the flicker time period to the sun dipping below the horizon? I see it every night. I don’t want to bicker but you are insulting the intelligence of everyone on the forum.

You could do this at home but I would suggest a return trip to McBain, at dawn. Position yourself about 1,100 feet west of a turbine and line up the sun path with the turbine base. Gonna need a watch but please tell me how long the morning sun is behind these 500 foot towers. Bear in mind the turbine spacing at McBain vs. the Arcadia location. Next, consider the suns position in the sky as the seasons change. The sun gets very low in the Southern sky during Winter so if you are surrounded by turbines the could happen several times a day from adjacent turbines depending on location.

Noise, blade flicker, property values, wildlife, are mostly after the fact complaints. Here is my problem. Wind energy is a scam….period. It is a proven failure around the world. Heavy tax dollar subsidies and they are drying up overseas. Show me one private venture. Why not learn from the information available, rather than conducting additional thirty year experiments in our communities. I was shocked to learn another 500 or 600 turbines are suggested for our region This is not what Northwest Michigan is about.

I have studied the issue somewhat and with the exception of a few happy farmers and wind company hype, I find very little positive information. Why is that? Just me? Ethanol? Another folly some out of touch politician dreamed up. They are talking about cutting the subsidies so lets see where that goes. High food prices, low fuel mileage and Hillary says the policies contribute to world hunger. But sure someone can dream up a positive side of food for gas.

 

PS: Like it or not, you can't just do anything you want with your property, hence zoning regulations because you can't trust people to do the right thing with regard to their neighbors.