To the Editor:
(Town of Madison, NY – July 2, 2013) A group of Madison residents representing varied interests of the Town, worked together with the Madison Planning Board for several months to generate a safe and fair wind regulation law. Even though it was a diverse group of individuals, this “wind advisory committee” unanimously agreed that the law was a good one. Two public meetings were held in which comments (both written and spoken) were in favor of the law, outnumbering those opposed to it by 4 to 1. Additionally, a petition was signed by 400+ Town residents in favor of the proposed law. Passing this law seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it?
Not to our Town Board. They stated at the June 26 meeting that the law didn’t make anyone happy and they needed to start from scratch. Really?!
Instead of adopting the law that was generated based on scientific research, the Board decided to create “wind districts” within the Town, significantly reducing the setbacks and height restrictions, and eliminating many of the protections written into the proposed law. And if you are unlucky enough to live within one of these “wind districts” and are unhappy about it, well, that’s just too bad. Your landscape and property values are about to change.
We should be asking ourselves to whom is our Board listening– the tax-paying voters of Madison, or the wind developer, EDP. The answer seems pretty obvious to me. Madison voters, please pay attention to what is happening in our Town!
Mary Lopata
Town of Madison Resident