WIND TURBINES DEVALUE HOMES - PLEASE READ

The letter below is addressed to Jaclyn Brilling, Secretary to the Commission, New York State Public Service Commission, New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment. The "siting board" is a good old boys club consisting of 5 unelected Albany bureaucrats who will decide if your NYS community will be cursed with an unwanted energy plant such as a wind factory. It's likely that none of these 5  have ever visited the community that will become the victim of  their decisions - nor do they care as they are totally unconnected to the victimized municipality. This all became possible because of the Power NY Act of 2011 and its Article X section which became law in August 2011 when Gov. Cuomo signed the bill passed by the NYS legislature THAT REMOVED HOME RULE from all NYS municipalities - home rule that up till passage of the Power NY Act - was guaranteed by the NYS Constitution. Make no mistake about it - Gov. Cuomo was the major behind the scenes force that caused this piece of disgusting legislation to happen. Cuomo's upfront man in the NYS Assembly is Ulster County Assemblyman Kevin Cahill - who co-authored this repulsive bill. Cahill is a wind zealot, a turbine hugger. Now energy company British Petroleum, who has been fined BILLIONs for environmental disasters,  is applying to the NYS Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment to erect a 124 turbine wind factory in the town of Cape Vincent - a horror of a project. And although the town of Cape Vincent has zoning regulations in place to prevent this type of development - the decision to allow this disgusting project will ultimately be made by the unelected 5-member siting board of good old boys. The letter below is not a fictitious letter written by some ghost writer with an axe to grind - but written by a real home owner who trusted & loved NYS and unfortunately is now getting ripped off for investing in a new home in NYS in Cape Vincent on the St. Lawrence River in an exclusive location. Think how you would feel if you were him. Do you think the good old boys club in Albany cares one bit? Read his letter:



Secretary to the Siting Board
Hon. Jaclyn A. Brilling

I have been a regular visitor to the St. Lawrence River and the 1000 Islands Region of New York State since the early 1960's.  Once I became familiar with the Cape Vincent, New York area, I fell in love with a section called the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse Road.

This road runs from the village of Cape Vincent  to the historic lighthouse on Tibbetts Point.  This is where Lake Ontario forms the St. Lawrence River.  There are no houses on the river side of the road.  Directlly across the river is Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada.

I dreamed for years of owning property and a home on this road.  I wanted to sit on my front deck and watch the river run, the wildlife and the seaway traffic.

In 2006 that dream came true.  My wife and I were able to buy 7.7 acres for $313,000.  We started to build our river home in 2006 and finished it in 2007.  It was built by a local contractor.  When it was completed in 2007, our total investment in this land, house and landscaping came to $1,036,000.  A nice addition to the local tax base.

Shortly after we took possession of this home the Province of Ontario authorized the construction of wind turbines on Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada directly across the river from our new home.  We can now see 67 of them from our front deck.  At night instead of stars, we have flashing red lights.  We hear the turbine noise 24 hours a day if the wind is from the west or northwest.

Two real estate agents have told us that if we were to try and sell our new home at this time we would be lucky to sell it for $500,000 to $600,000.  A reduction of my investment of some 40-50%.  I say again, a loss of 40-50%.  The reason they give is the view shed of 67 wind turbines on Wolfe Island and the threat of British Petroleum constructing 100 plus 499 foot tall wind turbines around the village of Cape Vincent, NY.

Industrial wind turbines should not be allowed to built anywhere there are residences that will see devaluation of their property value of 20-50 %.  There is no logic that can justify doing so.

The western end of Wolfe Island, Canada is now a real estate grave yard and will remain so until such time that the turbines are gone.  The same effect will be felt all around the village and town of Cape Vincent if BP is allowed to construct turbines.  It will be a real estate grave yard for years and the financial blow to the local tax base will be devastating.

Industrial wind turbines do not belong near people and residences.  Why should our tax dollars be used to subsidize their operation while at the same time we see our property devalued?  There is only one answer to the question - it should not be allowed to happen.

There is no single individual on the Siting Board, the PSC or in power in Albany that would want this situation forced on them..

Please do not allow this travesty to be forced on our area.  It would destroy the 1000 Islands;  one of the natural jewels of New York State.

Respectfully submitted

Tom McMullen