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Although wind farm project appears dead, talks continue at Hopkinton Town Board meeting

Posted 6/20/18

By MATT LINDSEY HOPKINTON – Although lawyers for wind farm developer Avangrid acknowledged that they have ceased development efforts for the North Ridge Wind Project, wind talks were the hot topic …

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Although wind farm project appears dead, talks continue at Hopkinton Town Board meeting

Posted

By MATT LINDSEY

HOPKINTON – Although lawyers for wind farm developer Avangrid acknowledged that they have ceased development efforts for the North Ridge Wind Project, wind talks were the hot topic at the June 18 town council meeting.

The letter regarding the North Ridge Wind Project was mentioned at the meeting but was not read out loud.

“I believe that the project is dead; specifically due to the letter to the DPS site requesting any unused funds from the application fee be returned to the company,” said Sue Wood, town supervisor. “The developer was given ample time to present their project to the public, as well as the town board.”

Hopkinton resident Deborah Rust read a letter to the board expressing her disgust and disappointment with the action and inaction taken to make the town a viable and fiscally responsible town.

“She also stated the board members and their lack of backbone to push back on efforts of the Concerned Citizens, who she claims are mostly nonresidents and Parishville residents,” Wood said.

A couple of others spoke in favor of the proposed project although they had already received notification that the wind developer was pulling out of Hopkinton, she said.

The meeting was attended by roughly the same amount of people for and against, the supervisor said.

“Before the meeting started, a letter was distributed from the attorney for Gilbert Sochia stating he could vote on issues unless a judge decided he couldn’t,” Wood said.

Later in the meeting, things got a little heated over the discussion of the Wind Advisory Board. During the May meeting, the board tried to get two members appointed.

“I was under the impression that Gilbert Sochia couldn’t vote on the matter so assumed that the final vote did not carry,” she said. “However, the town clerk informed us that she had contacted the Association of Towns and they stated he could vote on this matter.

Wood said that since the board was not aware of this and she had been following the town attorney’s advice, this matter was tabled until she could meet with the town attorney.