Protection: Economic or Zoning

Falmouth’s Board of Selectmen, responsible for steering the town’s fiscal management, have asked Town Meeting to exempt the existing town turbines from the special permit process. The intent of such a ‘by-right- permitting’ change would achieve a reduced cost liability for the taxpayer.

Falmouth’s Planning Board, responsible to the community in promoting a safe, healthy future for those that live, work and visit, have recomend to Town Meeting that this request is not in keeping with zoning law principles.

Falmouth’s Town Meeting, responsible for town funding alocations, zoning bylaw adoption, changes and amendments, will soon decide Article 3, whether $$$’s should hold more community sway than zoning intent and principle.

Town Meeting is well aware the zoning change proposal by Selectmen is driven by economics. The question members must ask is whether the economic issue compliments or deters from the principle intent of zoning bylaw?

Does the bylaw change ensure the preservation or improvement of existing protection measures afforded nearby property uses (the intent of any bylaw changes, revisions or adaptations)? Or, in this particular case, does the bylaw amendment address only the cost liabilities to be avoided?

All due respect to Town Meeting and their duty to separate fiscal and zoning responsibilities, this requested modification speaks only to fiscal matters while at the same time asks Town Meeting to degrade existing special permit protections afforded to neighbors.

Weighed without economic diversion and distraction, the merits of this amendment compromise the very essence of basic zoning principle and the intent of Town Meeting’s previous and existing wind bylaws of 1981 & 2013.

It’s in the best interest of the community that Town Meeting rejects Special Town Meeting Warrant Article 3.