Turbine locations revealed at council meeting

The Digby Neck Wind Farm, scheduled for construction in 2009, was the subject of a presentation made by Barry Zwicker, CEO of Scotian Windfields, Nov. 10 at the Municipality of Digby’s meeting.

Much of his PowerPoint show duplicated information found on Scotian Windfields and Skypower’s websites. The map showing the proposed location of the turbines was news, however, to everyone--including the landowners who have agreed to lease their properties for development.

There are six turbines proposed for the adjacent Waterford properties owned by Allan A. Fogg and Chester A. and Marie Barbara Fogg. The Foggs reside in Vermont.

James and Beverly Bennett own a house in Rossway and a principal residence in Georgia. They also own 725 acres in the Rossway area. There are six turbines—including two on the shore of Saint Mary’s Bay—proposed for their property.

Environmentalists tend to oppose construction of towers on the sites of great naturally beauty, and the Redhead site, visible from Saint Mary’s Bay and Highway 217 certainly qualify as such.

In fact, some see the two turbines on Saint Mary’s Bays as red herrings, designed to reduce the focus of objectors to two specific turbines—rather than the entire project.

The remaining eight turbines appear to be planned for construction on land owned by Linda and Larry Lewis, PC Futures Ld, Jerry Schofield, Bernard and Gloria McBride and Vernon and Judy McBride.

In an interview with the Courier in May, Barry Zwicker, Scotian Windfields’ CEO, said landowners will receive from $3,000 to $5,000 per year for each turbine, and cited this reinvestment in the local community as a benefit of the development.

At the Nov. 10 municipality of Digby council meeting, Zwicker said a public meeting on the project is scheduled for Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. at Rossway Hall.

The municipality of Digby is currently working on a bylaw relating to setbacks for wind turbines.The Digby Neck Windfarm, however, is likely to be grandfathered. Zwicker was asked about the distance between the Digby Neck wind turbines and nearby homes. He replied that the shortest setback would be about 600 m. He added that this shouldn’t be a problem since people leasing the land to the developer own the homes that will closest to the turbines.