Lakeshore Advance, 2011-05-11, Page 2ll
2 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Property values will fall, warns ACW resident
Wind farms
a concern
Cheryl Heath
WI Agency
Shawn Drennan believes
a turbine -spotted land-
scape could lead to a plass
exodus.
In making a presentation
before Huron County
Council on May 4, Dren-
nan, who appeared before
council to speak on his
concerns about wind farms,
says his Ashfield Colborne
Wawa nosh -based family
has been following the
issue since the start given
his home municipality was
the first to welcome wind
turbines,
Froin anecdotal evidence
and reports from experts
like Dr. Geoff Leventhal,
Drennan says evidence
indicates wind farms have
a negative health impact on
at least 10 per cent of the
population.
In noting that a wind
energy company recently
outright purchased several
homes in the Ripley area,
Drennan says the evidence
suggests that not only do
wind farms cause harm,
hut they are also viewed
negatively in the real estate
market. That factor, says
Drennan, will lead to a
decrease in property value
assessments, something
that could prove especially
troublesome given several
of Huron County's munici-
palities receive the hulk of
their taxation revenues
from Lakeshore residents.
Drennan went on to cite
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the property assessment appeal of
Amaranth 'Township resident Paul
Thompson who received a 50 per cent
reduction on his tax bill because of
noise emissions from a transformer
station on an adjacent property. The
station in question registered a noise
level at 40 decibels, the same level as
what will be allowable with wind
turbines.
One of the ironic aspects of the
possible impact of wind farms on the
county's property value assessment
base, says Drennan, is turbine assess-
• stents are capped by the province so
if properties are subject to a signifi-
cant devaluation, there will be no way
for the county to deal with the short-
fall other than to deliver significant
tax hikes across the board.
Plus, says Drennan, it will be diffi-
cult for the county to draw seniors to
the region given they will not want to
"retire among turbines."
Drennan also took time out to criti-
cize the provincial government's
"
Once a stigma
is attached, it's very
hard to get rid of it."
— Conn. Bran Barnim
(Central Huron)
mixed messages on the negative fac-
tors associated with wind energy
projects.
As an example, Drennan notes one
area family was interested in buying
its own acoustical equipment to
gauge the noise emitted by a neigh-
bouring wind project. When the fam-
ily asked the Ministry of Environment
with help siting the equipment, the
ministry responded tvith the answer
that there are no scientifically tested
procedures to do so.
During a question -and -
answer session with council, Coun.
Bill Sienlon (Huron Fast) expressed
frustration with the provincial gov-
ernment's ongoing promotion of
wind energy as an end to coal -tired,
plants when not a single plant for
closed thanks to wind energy.
Calling it a "vicious circle" Sienlon
says it is ironic that a handful of green
energy jobs are being created here
while thousands of jobs are going to
China where coal is still used.
Conn. Brian Barnim (Central
Huron) says the train question at the
end of the day is whether wind energy
developments are a "good deal" for
the county.
Harnitn says so far it seems wind
turbines (10 not have a positive impact
on property assessment values.
"Once a stigma is attached, it's very
hard to get rid of it," says Barnim, sug
gest1ng potential homebuyers are
"turned off" by turbines.
CONTINUED > PAGE 6
McCann wants to build apartment building in Grand Bend
CONTINUED FROM > PAGE 1
Bonesteel said, " 1 understand your
hands are tied. This is frustrating for
council and frustrating for people trying
to develop. We have to get on with this"
Richardson said they have 35m2 in
capacity and that is not to say they can't
give 45m2 away but that becomes dan-
gerously low for allocation and they
should see red flags. Once that last bit of
allocation is gone- they have nothing.
"These are the things we have to be
aware of," she told council.
Deputy mayor Elizabeth Davis Dagg
said she wanted to make a motion to
have a public meeting, as she thought
there were still too many questions. She
said she had a list of her questions ready
for staff.
Councilor Underwood said he does
not understand a motion to discuss
information they have heard repeatedly.
"Staff is not giving us their gut feelings or
1 reckons, they have put time and
resource management into the informa-
tion we have and they have done three
times. Maybe council members don't
like answers but that's what it is. I have
no doubt staff is not making this up"
'1'o have a public sleeting, mayor
Weber says there is not time advertise
with proper notice for a public meeting
before the 16th sleeting Bonesteel,sug-
gested these questions conte to the lune
10 Tri -municipal public delegation. "1
ant pretty sure that question will come
back at that meeting" Ile said that forum
is better than a council meeting. Davis-
Dagg disagreed stating the tri -municipal
is not the forum- that won't want to deal
with this. "You can't say we have dealt
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GRAND BEND 519-238-2110
Ail We plan to submit
the site plan and zoning
application by the
end of May 2011."
— Bill McCann
with this. 'Mere are still questions," she
told council. The motion for a public
sleeting was lost in an 8-1 vote and
Weber said Davis-Dagg should send her
questions to staff to be answered.
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