SHELBURNE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS HEARING

THURSDAY MAY 24th 8:00 p.m. Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School

THE NEW INDUSTRAL WIND APPLICATION FOR SHELBURNE

ZBA TOOL KIT

Any one can attend, testify in person, and/or testify in writing during the Shelburne ZBA hearing regarding the industrial wind application

The Zoning Board will spell out the rules of the hearing at the begining.

If you speak,  identify yourself, ask that your comments be entered into the public record.

Bring a written statement also. It should also say “please enter my comments into the public record” . Provide six copies for the Board and one copy for the wind opponents’ legal team. All comments will become a part of the public record.

The ZBA will accept written comments for a specified period of time. They will announce that at the hearing.

Please use the sections of the Shelburne Zoning Bylaws to make your commnets, and refer directly to the bylaw by section and the actual language. This speciific language is what the Zoning Board must use to evaluate an application.

                              The address for  written comments

                                   Shelburne Zoning Board of Appeals

                                   Shelburne Town Hall

                                    51 Bridge St.

                                    Shelburne Falls, MA 01370





Shelburne ZBA Rules and Regulations (edited)

From the Town of Shelburne Ma --Zoning Board Regulations

Section 6: Hearing Procedure

The Clerk will circulate a sign‑up sheet to record the names of those attending the hearing. The Chairperson shall open the hearing, review the Board’s procedures, and open the evidentiary part of the hearing. The Chairperson will announce that anyone (including Board members) is required to notify the meeting that the meeting content is being recorded prior to initiating such recording.

Members of the Board hearing the case may direct appropriate questions at any time during the hearings. All parties, when they initially speak at a hearing, shall introduce themselves with their full name and their relationship to the hearing (e.g.: abutter, resident, etc.). All hearings proceed in the following order, with the Chairperson moderating all portions of the hearing:

A. The Chair will introduce the members of the Board; then the Applicant will introduce

members of his/her presentation team.

B. Applicant’s presentation.

C. Clerk’s report, for the record, of all submitted materials and site visit observations, if

applicable.

D. Comments from abutters, then the public, then questions by those seeking information.

E. Applicant’s response(s).

F. Final comments and questions from the public, applicant, and Board, in that order.

G. Close of evidentiary part of the hearing or, if necessary, continuation of the hearing to a date and time certain. Such a continuation may require a written agreement between the applicant and the Board. See Attachment 4: “Statutory Time Line Extension.”



Other Documents Related to the Permit Application

The northwestern forest block contains a very large Core Habitat area along High Ledges and Massamett Mountain as well as a small Core Habitat area along the southwestern slope of Massamett Mountain. Supporting Natural Landscapes stretch into the town of Colrain towards Catamount State Forest to the north as well as south to the Deerfield River, southeast of Shelburne Falls.



RECENT NEWS OF THE SHELBURNE WIND PROPOSAL

Residents voted down the idea of using paper ballots, and a
two-thirds vote was required for each proposed bylaw change.

They voted 229-46 in favor of an article allowing small wind
turbines for “on-premises use” and voted 196-57 in favor of a definition for
small turbines for home, farm or business use. The vote on excluding commercial
wind turbines passed by 195-57.
Everyone voted in favor of the moratorium, which was adopted
after midnight.



Michael Parry said it’s too early to know what the next
steps will be. “We’re certainly happy that the town sent a clear message about
(commercial) wind,” he said. “Mr. Field has said repeatedly he wanted to know
what the town thinks. The message couldn’t have been any clearer.”

Shelburne Wind Developer Returns Before the Town Votes on a Ban or Moratorium

Later in the evening, when asked if he is going
to resubmit a new proposal for a wind facility, Field said he would wait for
the bylaw process to go forward. (Greenfield Recorder, March 22, 2012)

News about the Shelburne Bylaw Changes

Wind and Solar Moratoriums and Bylaw Changes Schedule

All Petitions are on the Town’s page on this website

Heath-

 Saturday May 12^th Annual Town Meeting-Vote on the Solar and Wind Moratorium

Shelburne Zoning Bylaw Changes Would Not Allow Large Scale WInd

The Planning Board briefly discussed the petition for a commercial wind facility
ban, and hope to open the required public hearing about it sometime between
April 10 and April 12. The petition asks the town to
modify the zoning bylaw to specify that on-premise, residential wind turbines
are allowed by special permit, but that commercial wind turbines are excluded
from the permissible types of electricity generating facilities allowable within
the bylaw.

Marchese said the petition was signed by 49 registered voters
and the articles they requested will appear on this year’s annual town meeting
warrant.

Raymond S. Hartman, PhD Sheds Light on the DEP-DPH Study.

Review of Dr. Ben Luce at Memorial Hall February 11, 2012

Massachusetts Senators Call for Extension of Subsidies for Wind Energy

Massachusetts Senators want to extend the federal subsidies to give tax dollars to wind in the name of job creation, but the number of jobs created is in serious doubt. We know that putting money behind conservation and public transportation creates jobs and helps the environment. Please let our Senators know what we think about subsidizing industrial wind. Call them at :

Scott Brown 202-224-4543

                    617-565-3170

John Kerry 202-224-2742

                617-565-8519

You may also contact our Senators by going to their websites and writing your comments to them.

Please see the articles below.

NEWS ABOUT TURBINE HEALTH EFFECTS

DEP and DPH release their wind health effects findings

New Study about the Health Affects from Wind Turbine Exposure

WIND BYLAW NEWS FOR WEST COUNTY

Environmental group in Vermont appealing OK on turbines

Do you want this near you or your neighbors?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoVKP0G_f8M&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=c3FZtmlHwcA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EmYe2u6J6g&featur