Cape officials discuss wind-related issues

CAPE VINCENT — A decision on a wind zoning law was not directly addressed by the Town Council on Thursday night, but several issues that could affect two proposed wind projects were discussed.

Some waterfront landowners want to be rezoned to limit commercial and industrial development.

Noel P. Bonvouloir, Fox View Lane, presented a petition from about 100 property owners asking that a section of land between County Route 6 and Lake Ontario be rezoned as lakefront.

The section west of County Route 6 and north of Humphrey Road is zoned lakefront, but south of Humphrey Road to the border with Lyme, it is zoned agricultural-residential.

"Without the protection of lakefront zoning, we could have unwanted industrial infiltration," he said. "We all live on the water and we all pay the same tax rates whether we live in the lakefront, riverfront or agricultural-residential district."

He also said that the property becomes more valuable because the lakefront zone is less restrictive on subdivisions.

In 1989, the town's zoning commission kept the property in the agricultural-residential district because it was already commercially developed and should not be part of the mostly residential lakefront district, according to Times archives.

Planning Board Chairman Richard J. Edsall said the division was a political deal at the time.

"In the AR district, you have the right to put a trailer in, which you cannot do in the lakefront district," he said. "And until four or five years ago you didn't give anything up. But now what they've given up is, they can have a wind turbine in their backyard."

Under the current draft for a wind zoning law, turbines are allowed in the agricultural-residential district but not in the lakefront district.

Only four of the 100 people who have responded to Mr. Bonvouloir so far are against the zoning change. Mr. Bonvouloir sent out the information at the beginning of February to the 304 landowners.

Mr. Edsall said changing the zoning would make trailers illegal, so they should consider creating a new district instead. Town Council members agreed to meet with the Planning Board to discuss options.

The council also considered, but tabled, a resolution to appoint up to three alternates to the Planning Board.

Mr. Edsall said he didn't think the resolution was tight enough with information on when the alternates would be called on to vote.

"We need a majority of four people on the Planning Board to vote on any wind power project," he said. "It might be advantageous to look at it more."

Councilman Mickey W. Orvis said he'd like to also add alternates to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

"If we're going to do this, we would need to find the money to pay for them for the rest of the year," Councilman Donald J. Mason said.

The council members, along with members of the town's Wind Committee, were invited to a presentation by Acciona's acoustic consultant to the Planning Board.

The developer has proposed the 54-turbine St. Lawrence Wind Farm. The consultant, Hessler Associates Inc., Haymarket, Va., will present information on measuring sound.

"We recognize potential impacts from sound emitted from the proposed project have been a primary concern of the Planning Board and the community," wrote project manager Peter E. Zedick in a Feb. 25 letter requesting the presentation. "Assessing sound impacts from wind turbines can be a difficult task given some variability of opinion."

The presentation will take place after the Planning Board's regular meeting at 7 p.m. April 14, likely at the Cape Vincent Recreation Park, 602 S. James St.

The council, board and committee will likely then meet on April 17 to discuss the zoning law again, Supervisor Urban C. Hirschey said.