Clayton panel seeks to alter wind law

CLAYTON — The town's wind committee submitted a four-page proposal for a revised local law on wind energy production to the Clayton Town Council at its regular meeting Wednesday.

The recommendations cover a range of issues, including noise limits and setbacks for wind turbines. The committee recommended:

■ Sound from turbines should not exceed 5 decibels above ambient noise levels, measured before construction under specific guildelines at the property lines of people who have not signed a lease with a wind development company.

■ Sound should not exceed 50 decibels at any the home of anyone who has signed a lease with a wind development company, or at any churches, schools, hospitals, nursing homes and libraries.

■ Turbines should be placed at least 31/2 times the maximum height of the turbine from nonparticipating residents' property lines and public roads, with a minimum distance of 500 feet.

■ Turbines should be set back 21/2 times the maximum height of the turbines from participating residents.

■ Non-participating residents should be allowed to sign easements for noise and setbacks that would allow distances equal to those for participating residents.

■ Turbines should be set back at least 4,500 feet from the St. Lawrence River, the Chaumont River downstream of Depauville, the boundaries of the village of Clayton and the lighting district of the hamlet of Depauville.

Town Supervisor Justin A. Taylor said the recommendations will be reviewed by the Town Council and the Planning Board over the next four weeks and will be discussed further at the May 27 council meeting.

The public must submit a Freedom of Information request to the town to view the document. The cost is 25 cents per page.

"When we look at revising Local Law No. 1 of 2007 we would like to consider the possibility of taking small wind out of that law so that that law would just be for big wind," Mr. Taylor said.

He said the town board could draft a new law for alternative energy, including non-commercial wind power, solar, hydro and geothermal power.

"We should look at separating the big stuff from the residential stuff," Mr. Taylor said.

He said the town will ask the wind committee to participate in the May meeting to answer questions and clarify technical terms.

"If we're going to look at changing the local law, I'd like to do it all at once," Mr. Taylor said.

Councilman George E. Kittle said it would be better for the town to change it as soon as possible.

Councilman Robert W. Cantwell III said members of the wind committee worked very hard to submit their final proposal to the town by April and the recommendations should be straightforward and easy to understand.

"The group of people we had were just so willing to work together and really take the time to do what we needed to do, which made the process go so much more smoothly," said Wind Committee member Jamie Lee.

Also at Wednesday's meeting, the town board decided to send out surveys to Route 12E residents asking them if they want to be included in the new sewer district. Residents should submit the surveys to the town within a month to be included in the district.

"We'll have it out there for 30 days and see what the tally looks like," Mr. Taylor said.

Surveys will be sent out to more than 200 property owners along from Bartlett Point Road to the town of Cape Vincent border who could connect their homes to the village's sewer pipe running from the Cape Vincent Correctional Facility into the village.

Those who do not respond to the survey will not be included in the district.

Times staff writer Nancy Madsen contributed to this report.