Bath schedules wind farm hearing

BATH - The public will have a chance to weigh in on a moratorium on commercial wind development in the town of Bath on Aug. 10.

The public hearing was set Monday by the Bath Town Board after approving a draft of the six-month ban on commercial wind turbines.

The measure is precautionary since there are no known plans by an energy company to build a commercial wind farm in the town.

If approved by the Bath board next month, the moratorium will allow a three-person committee time to study what other municipalities have done to regulate electricity generating wind tubines. The committee will eventually propose guidelines for Bath.

There was little comment Monday night by Bath councilmen on the proposed ban, except for Councilman William Glossick's request the moratorium specifically exempt the smaller, residential wind turbines.

The moratorium would prevent the construction of wind towers or related facilities until a local wind law is adopted by the board.

A number of wind projects are in various stages of development in the western portion of Steuben County and one wind farm is currently operating in the town of Cohocton.

Bath is considering regulating wind development in response to problems experienced this year in the nearby towns of Cohocton and Prattsburgh, Town Super-visor Fred Muller said.

In Cohocton, the 50-turbine First Wind project ran into problems in February when residents began to complain about jet-engine-like noise. Many of the turbines, which started up in January, had to be repaired.

Alarmed by the reports from Cohocton, town officials in Prattsburgh attempted to delay any construction by two developers, First Wind and Ecogen, until they received more information and enact laws regulating the projects.

The Prattsburgh board is now taking steps to enact a wind tower permit law.

"I think it's safe to say we're looking around at those towns, and we don't want it to happen here," Muller said.

Other reports before the board included:

* Planning Board Chairman Jim Emo said Griffith Energy is undergoing a site review of property located at 7388 State Route 54 and expects to move its offices from its location at 7324 State Route 54.

Griffith plans on using one house on the property for offices and demolishing a second building.

The company also will use the sit for storage and aboveground gas tanks, Emo said.

* Highway Supervisor Patrick Muller said grading work on town roads is expected to be completed with two weeks. Plans for a salt barn shared with the village are nearly finished and construction should begin next month, Patrick Muller said.