Those Windmills Will Be 500' Tall

Check out the front page of the Valley News from 1984 (thanks, Sandi!). It shows a turbine being prepped at the Canaan-Orange line atop Tug Mountain Ridge near Derby Pond. Sandi says the Orange Zoning Board had voted against allowing the project in Orange. (If you can't see the picture, click on the link to the blog post.)

And, speaking of turbines, Sandi emailed us a response to the latest Select Board meeting. 

There was a sizeable attendance at the last Selectmen's meeting because the proposed Spruce Ridge Wind Project was on the agenda. Looking at the location map of the eight 500-foot turbines slated for Orange, it is obvious that more than one land owner is involved. To get a sense of the turbine height, hiking halfway up to the Cardigan summit from the base parking lot is about a 600-foot gain in elevation.I would like to commend the Select Board on how the last meeting was orchestrated; many questions and comments were entertained and answered about what the wind project means for Orange. There will be more presentations and discussions at the December 16 Planning Board meeting which starts at 7 PM. - Sandi

Meanwhile, the Orange Conservation Commission is meeting at 6 PM this Thursday. As always, the public is welcome. We'll discuss ways to research the project, assist the Planning Board, and inform the town.  Here are just some of the questions we'll need to ask: 

• What liabilities do we taxpayers face, in terms of dismantling abandoned towers, maintaining the hazard lights, and fighting tower-caused fires?
• Where will the powerlines and roads go? (Sandi is looking into the exact location of the planned towers.)
• What financial benefits will there be to the town? How much will the liabilities outweigh them?
• What's the timing on the proposal and environmental impact statement? Volunteers will need to read them, plus supporting documents, which can total in the thousands of pages.
• What are the advantages in terms of local electrical bills and direct payments to the town, after country and state taxes?

After we get more information, I'll create a discussion board for anyone who's interested.

And, hey, that snow was fun while it lasted! Sandi thanks Scott Sanborn, the Remacle crew, the state, "and the ever-cheerful Dougie Dimond from Grafton Highway for doing such a quick and great job on our roads Thanksgiving eve and morning." Hear, hear!

I (Jay) have been behind in posting Select Board minutes. You can read the latest here, along with the past three years' minutes in case you have way too much time on your hands.

I'm also planning to start putting up government forms for easy downloading. Stay tuned! - Jay