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Wind company vacates its office space in Parishville

Posted 6/7/18

By MATT LINDSEY PARISHVILLE — The wind company proposing a 27-tower wind farm in Hopkinton no longer has an office in Parishville. Avangrid has removed their sign outside the Silver Cafe which they …

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Wind company vacates its office space in Parishville

Posted

By MATT LINDSEY

PARISHVILLE — The wind company proposing a 27-tower wind farm in Hopkinton no longer has an office in Parishville.

Avangrid has removed their sign outside the Silver Cafe which they had been renting for their office for the past several months.

“The vote taken a few weeks ago effectively zones out wind in Hopkinton,” said Avangrid spokesperson Paul Copleman. “The most disheartening thing about this abrupt reversal and improper revote is that it surrenders to the handful of opponents using intimidating tactics and ignores so many voices in the community. It's a rejection of even considering new economic development and jobs that would benefit so many in Hopkinton, a rejection of significant new school funding, and it shuts down a collaborative, community-wide process that still has a long way to go. As a result, we've suspended staffing the local office.”

Copleman was not opposed to future discussions with Hopkinton officials if concessions are made with the current wind law.

“We have made clear what science-backed changes are necessary to the Wind Advisory Board recommendations to allow wind in Hopkinton,” he said.

The law calls for a setback requirement of five times the total height of a turbine from non-participating property lines, public roads, wind overlay boundary, non-WECS building, farm or commercial structures or any above-ground utilities, registered historical sites and the APA boundary.

The local law requires adherence to a maximum sound level of 40 dBA at the nearest non-participating property line, school, hospital, place of worship or building existing at the time of the application.

The law also prohibits turbines on land south of SH 72.

Avangrid says its project would bring roughly $30 million to the area.

“If the town in the very near term can examine those changes to the zoning ordinance, we may consider re-engaging with Hopkinton, but the pre-emptive rejection means we will focus on other New York projects in areas with clearer paths to pursue renewable development.”