Letter to the Editor: Resident Offers "Win-Win" Solutions for Turbine Proposal

Letter to the Editor:

Ms. Luise Strauss has applied for a special-use permit to build a 297 foot tall, one megawatt wind turbine on her small sheep farm near Sachuest Beach.  She would use the electricity to power her farm, and sell the excess to "off-site" customers such as St. George's School and the Town of Middletown.  This application is now up for consideration by the town's Zoning Board, with a recommendation by the Planning Board.  Why shouldn't Ms. Strauss be allowed to do as she pleases with her land?  Isn't "green" energy good for the environment and Middletown?

      No one is allowed to do whatever they like, whenever they like.  The whole idea of having zoning laws and comprehensive town plans is to help control how and where development occurs so that the interests of all the citizens are protected. 

      Ms. Strauss is not the only party affected here.  Every user of Second Beach, Third Beach, Sachuest Wildlife Refuge, Norman Bird Sanctuary, and Paradise Park in Middletown will see this structure.  In fact, it may well be visible from Newport Harbor, Fort Adams, and Narragansett Bay.  That means that tourists and locals alike will have their enjoyment of our most beautiful natural assets affected.  That means hotels, restaurants, and other businesses are affected.  The question is:  to what extent?

      The view from Sachuest Point, back along Second Beach, and up to St. George's Chapel is the most iconic and scenic view in Middletown.  It is endlessly photographed and painted by tourists and locals alike.   What if "only" 25% of our beach users find this tall tower interferes with their enjoyment of that scene.  Would it be worth it to everyone else in Middletown to lose 25 percent of our tourists?  How about 10 percent, or 5 percent, of our tourists?  Is such a loss permissible so that one person can make money off a wind turbine? The artist's impression clearly showed how such a large wind turbine will look from Sachuest Beach.  Opinions will certainly differ, but some people, maybe many people, won't like it.

      But, why does this issue have to be all or nothing?  Why can't this be resolved in a way that is "win-win" for both sides?   The town's wind turbine ordinance provides standards for the construction of wind turbines that ensure public safety and "minimize impacts on scenic, natural and historic resources of the town" (Sec 25A00 – Purpose).  The town ordinance on special use permits requires "such use in its proposed location… is compatible with the Comprehensive Community Plan of the Town of Middletown;" (Sec 902 – Special Use Permits).  The town's Comprehensive Plan promotes the construction of wind turbines "in locations that do not dominate the visual qualities of the land from prominent public vantage points." (Goal XVI).  Whatever else is debatable, there is NO question that Second and Third beaches, Sachuest Point, and Hanging Rock are "prominent" public vantage points for viewing Middletown's scenery.  The only real question left is:  does this proposed large wind turbine "dominate" the visual qualities of the land from those locations? 

      What does "dominate" mean?  How do they decide?  The Planning Board has examples of criteria used by the State of Vermont to evaluate this which they can use.  BUT, it does NOT have to be a simple "yes" or "no".  It doesn't have to be someone wins, and everyone else loses.  It CAN be "win-win".

      How?  The Zoning Board must balance Ms. Strauss' right to develop her land, consistent with our zoning laws, against the equally important interests of everyone else.   If a 300 foot wind turbine is too tall to approve because it detracts too much from the scenic vistas that make this town so popular, then approve one that is smaller. What does a 200 foot wind turbine look like from Sachuest Beach?  How about a 150 foot or 120 foot tower?  Whatever size doesn't "dominate" the views from our beaches is the size that should be allowed.  Ms. Strauss should be allowed to build her wind turbine and make money from it, so long as approving her application protects everyone else's interests and the beauty of Middletown's most scenic area.  That would be a true "win-win" solution for everyone. 

Sincerely,

Richard Price

Middletown   

Editor's Note: The Strauss wind turbine proposal is expected to undergo a Public Hearing before the Planning Board in early October, for the Planning Board to make a recommendation that the Zoning Board of Review will consider in making its final determination during the project's Special Permit approval process.