Large crowd turns out to protest proposed wind farm

Large crowd turns out to protest proposed wind farm

By: Donna Rescorla, The Independent
07/21/2009

HOLBROOK - The first public step to create wind and solar farms on property between Snowflake and Holbrook met with vehement protests from neighbors.

More than 100 people were at the Navajo County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting July 16 in Holbrook. The supervisors' boardroom was filled and about the same number of people were seated or standing in the corridor outside the room for five public hearings involving wind and/or solar farms.
The first step to establishing such a facility is to obtain a special use permit "to install wind towers and solar modules and met (meteorological) towers to measure wind and solar elements for the potential of alternate power" on the properties. Although a few people spoke in favor of the request, the vast majority were against the request.
Before the public hearings began, Chairman Wendell DeCross set the ground rules, one of which was to tell those wishing to speak that they would have three minutes to speak and that would be strictly observed. Several people were cut off at three minutes. Five public hearings had been set for various areas but Greg Loper, deputy public works director for planning, said they would cover them all at one time because the requests and NZ Legacy would be the company through which the project would be done.
"The parcels are located between Snowflake and Holbrook, mostly to the east of State Route 77," Loper told the commissioners. "There are a total of 56 sections of land."
Besides letters the commissioners already had, Planning and Zoning received a "fairly thick" packets of letters.
"The letters were a mixed bag," Loper said. "There were a number of issues brought up such as esthetics, noise, shadowing and water sources. These are all very valid concerns."
He said the commissioners might want to table the requests, possibly until the August meeting. He said it was up to them, that they might want to consider the two properties on the western side of the area. The F Bar Ranch parcels are entirely west of SR 77 while Bar J Bar Ranch has a few parcels on the west side of 77 and more on the east side of the highway.
Loper said these two proposals are not around much private land. The other proposed projects are on Hay Hollow Ranch, Silver Creek Ranch and Mexican Hollow Ranch.
Consultant Rulon Anderson said the requests are from NZ Legacy which, in association with Renegy, operates the biomass plant next to the Catalyst Paper Snowflake operation. Bob Worsley of NZ Legacy is involved in alternate energy.
"You have great wind resources and solar resources in this area," Anderson said. "This land seems suited for wind and solar power, but studies have to be done. They will be done. We estimate that for all the development, we will spend millions of dollars to see if it's feasible. The project was divided into five different areas. They all wouldn't be studied and developed at once.
"There will be low frequency noise of about 40 to 50 decibels which is about the decibel level in a bedroom," he said. "The low frequency noise will be eliminated when the towers are upwind (of a property). There will also be very few bird kills. In the past, a large number of raptors were killed, but that was with 20-year-old technology."
The high area (of the parcels) is one of the best wind-producing areas in the state, he said, adding that someone suggested they go to Yuma but there was no wind there. Solar energy potential is also good with 300-plus days a year of sunshine.
An advantage to the county would be jobs for 2,100 full time workers.
When someone in the audience started to call out over Anderson, DeCross said if there was one more outburst he would have the person responsible leave the room. When people started clapping after each person opposed to the SUPs spoke, DeCross again said he would have them leave if they didn't stop.
Before the public hearing proceeded, Deputy County Attorney Lance Payette said that according to state statute, a developer has to include specific plans of what they plan to do if the special use permit is approved.
"I do believe I understand that," DeCross said. "We need to look at this as (we would) a zone change. Once it's issued, the person can do what they want."
Although the matter would probably be tabled, DeCross said, they would take public comments that evening before acting on that. He told members of the audience if they didn't have anything new to add, they shouldn't say anything.
When DeCross asked if there were any comments in favor of the proposal, Eli White of Joseph City pointed out that the unemployment rate in the county is more than 12 percent and that doesn't include people who have just given up and moved away. The projects, he said, would bring in good jobs.
"Don't be afraid of the future," he said. "Embrace the future. Go ahead."
Steve Winter of Mesa, who owns property in the area, said one person had commented that, if the towers were erected, their world was going to end but, he added, "Snowflake needs the jobs and there's nothing else in the area."
Although several other people said they were in favor of the project, they expressed concern about how much water it might use and whether it would lessen the amount of water available for the neighboring area.
Several people said they were concerned because not enough notice was given, both in the amount of time in which it was advertised and the number of people who weren't notified. When told there was a notice put up by the mail boxes, someone said no one looked at things posted there.
"My opposition is from my guts and my heart," Apache County resident Mary Olson said. "This cannot be 'green' with its components being fiberglass and concrete. I understand that, because of the kind of knowledge needed, there would be no jobs for local people." Another Apache County resident said Anderson stated there were no health issues but the Internet said wind farms could cause cardiac problems, sleep disturbance and stress, that vibrations from the towers can be felt more than a mile away.
He was also concerned about the lights that would be required by the FAA on the tall towers, saying he had moved to this area because of the lack of lights. He was also one of several who expressed concerns about the effect on the aquifer.
Commissioners were told that research done on Ontario, Canada, indicated 53 of 78 people interviewed said they had suffered stress and sleep problems after a wind farm was built. It was the rush to go to wind power, the person stated, adding that a study should be done and, for this particular project, more work is needed.
Dan Hatch of Woodruff, who is on the irrigation board, said they need more facts of how the project will affect the water table and who has first rights to the water.
Lynn Smith said, "My concern is that this land is so delicate that if you drive on it, it doesn't repair itself for two to three years."
Cindy Foster said the proposed sites of the windmills are "up close and personal" in her case since she lives on Hay Hollow Ranch. She said she was concerned about the value of her land dropping, noting that in a California area, people abandoned their homes because they couldn't sell them.
Steen Hviid, one of the leaders of the group protesting the towers, said he lives in Hay Hollow and could count 16 towers and a number of steam generated solar power plants close to his property.
"It is absolutely devastating to me," he said. "With my disability, I can't live in most houses. My special house cost more than other houses. Only one with my disability can understand. If the wind towers are there, I will have to move. I have a severe form of environmental illness and if the (wind/solar farm) is brought it, it will completely change my life. They don't make good neighbors for people like me."
Other concerns included how close the windmills and solar collectors would be to people's houses and that the area wasn't as good as other locations in the vicinity.
Such projects are good for developers, Paul Haffner said. "It's used to shield their oil profit from taxation. The local tax rate will benefit at first, but there will be a lower tax base.
"Are we really going to see who is going to benefit?"
Other questions raised were what would happen once the wind farm is no longer in use and how many insects and bats would hit the windmill blades. One person said he didn't want "those ugly things" in his backyard.
Several said they thought the next meeting at which the issue is discussed be held in a larger venue and one closer to the area. DeCross said the boardroom was where their meetings were held. However, although he didn't have the right to force Anderson to do anything, he suggested he meet with the residents of the area.
Many of those present said they hadn't officially heard about the meeting or not until the last minute, implying that was done so they wouldn't know about the meeting.
Loper stated that the public hearing had been noticed in the Silver Creek Herald and those living within 300 feet of the property in question were notified as state statute dictates.
They pointed out that in areas with large parcels of land, it might be more appropriate to go outside the 300 feet.
After the overall discussion, DeCross went through the requests one by one.
For the F Bar Ranch project, Deborah Housel said they objected to a project on that property, adding that they could already see the Dry Lake Wind Farm from their house.
"As homeowners, we object to rezoning for commercial. The special use permit puts something there that will be there for the rest of our lives. It will take value from our land, and I strongly object to it."
Randy Housel said he automatically objected to such projects. He wanted to know who would profit besides NZ Legacy and the owners of the F Bar Ranch.
Mary Laws said she could already see phase one of the Dry Lake Wind Farm and wanted to know why they hadn't received any notification about that. She also said their roads, even their private roads, have been destroyed since APS built a substation in their area. "How can they go out and do studies without our knowledge," she said. ""We received no information on phase one and we don't know anything about this one."
Several suggested the requests be thrown out instead of being tabled.
Hviid said he only received his official notice five days previously. At that time, he spent some time with his neighbors and many didn't know about the public hearing.
Loper said the notices were sent out properly, adding the intent of the notices is to notify people and, in this case, Hviid got his notice and, in turn, notified his neighbors.
The commissioners voted to table the requests until the Planning and Zoning staff had enough information to answer the questions posed in the July 16 meeting.
Officials pointed out that the SUP requests were already on the next board of supervisors agenda. Payette said it had to be pulled from the agenda because the commission didn't make recommendations needed by the supervisors.

*Reach the reporter at lupre2@yahoo.com