Falmouth Planning Board Rejects Wind Turbine Amendment

Falmouth Planning Board Rejects Wind Turbine Amendment

The seven member Falmouth Planning Board after a brief discussion unanimously voted to indefinitely postpone Article 3.

Several members of the board felt the town had made legal mistakes building the wind turbines. The view they took was the wind turbine amendment was a way to skirt the law. Reference was made about the town attorney.

Article 3 the zoning bylaw amendment was propsed by the Falmouth Select Board. Falmouth Town Meeting Members will still be asked to vote on the article at a Special Town Meeting November 10, 2015.

The recomendation of “Indefinite Postponement” by the Planning Board is a motion to ask Town Meeting Members to kill the proposal.

The Planning Board studies and makes recommendations on the long term growth of the Town.

The Planning Board also reviews site plans and special permits under the zoning bylaw and subdivision plans under the Subdivision Control Law.,
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Wind Turbine Bylaw Amendment :

WARRANT FOR THE NOVEMBER SPECIAL TOWN MEETING TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015 AT 7:00 p.m.

ARTICLE 3: To see if the town will vote to amend Chapter 240 – Zoning – of the Code of Falmouth by adding the following to Article XXXIV (34) Wind Energy Systems:

240-166.D (2) Any Wind Energy System owned by the Town of Falmouth and used for municipal purposes, in existence as of the date of this bylaw, shall be exempt from the provisions of this Article, pursuant to Section 240-30 .B. and may be allowed to operate as a matter of right in public use district.
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The Falmouth Select Board members Doug Jones, Susan L. Moran, Mary Pat Flynn, Rebecca Moffitt and Samuel H. Patterson asked for Article 3 after watching a presentaion by Chris Senie the attorney for the wind turbine victims.

Falmouth ZBA Sept 17 with Chris Senie -This link :
Zoning Board of Appeals September 17, 2015 Senie & Associates, P.C. Representing Impacted Neighbors
https://windwisema.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/senie-to-zba-ceasedesist-2015-09-17.pdf

Additional documentation below by Town Meeting Member Dave Moriarty
Click here to watch the video : Falmouth MA Wind Turbine Fiasco 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs8SwaR4KjE&feature=youtu.be