Wind Ordinance Goals

The goals of the Woodstock Wind Ordinance Committee are to strike a balance between the desire of some Woodstock citizens to allow future wind power development and the desire of others to be protected in the future from the annoyance and health effects currently experienced by residents living near the turbines on Spruce Mountain, and by establishing reasonable and uniform setbacks and noise limits, to protect the property rights and values of neighboring properties and the “sense of place” of our rural community.

The ordinance will not affect the Spruce Mountain facility as it now exists, but will apply to any future expansions and other major changes.

And two other points of clarification:

--beginning in June, 2012, the nighttime noise limit was lowered from 45 dBA to 42 dBA. This new requirement is not retro-active to SMW, but will affect future wind development; and

--most people who have told us they are bothered by the noise say it is when the wind is sufficiently strong and coming toward them from the turbines. They usually describe the noise as sounding like an airliner that doesn't pass by but “is constant” whenever those wind conditions exist.

Our committee meetings, on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 6 p.m. at the Town Office, are open to the public.

Bob Elliott

For the Woodstock Wind Ordinance Committee