Friends of Glebe Mountain

Introduction

The Town Plans of Londonderry and Windham are developed and proposed by their respective  Planning Commissions, vetted by their residents and ultimately approved by their respective Select Boards.

Below you will find selected extracts from the current Town Plans of Londonderry and Windham that primarily address the reasons why large scale wind development on Glebe Mountain is prohibited.

  Windham Town Plan: Selected Extracts

The Windham Town Plan (adopted 9/8/08) reads as follows:

Chapter V

Energy

B. Renewable Energy

1. Commercial Wind Energy Systems

pages 29-30

Commercial wind energy systems (wind farms) are defined as those that are regulated under Section 248 of Title 30 of the Vermont Statutes but not including net metering applications (as per 30 V.S.A 219a) or temporary meteorlogical towers. These are generally large-scale projects with multiple turbines designed to generate large amounts of electricity. It is the policy of the Town of Windham that commercial wind energy systems are prohibited throughout all of the town. (emphasis added)

This policy is consistent with Windham's Zoning Bylaw as well as the land use plan. Commercial wind is neither a permitted or conditional use in the Zoning Bylaw, therefore it is prohibited. In addition, Windham's high elevation lands - those most desirable for commercial wind energy development - contain many important natural resources and are among the most sensitive sites from a development perspective. For these reasons, these high elevation lands have been located in the Forest District where development is limited to agriculture, commercial forestry, forestry for research, education, and demonstration; and camps.

While Windham rejects commercial wind energy systems, the Town recognizes the fact that they may still be allowed by the Vermont Public Service Board. Should this occur, the Town requests that the Public Service Board require the developer to provide the following:
A wildlife habitat assessment, including assessment of impact to migratory, resident and breeding avian and bat populations

• A rare species assessment; and mitigation plans (if necessary)
• A visual impact assessment, including pre- and post-construction photo simulations of the project as seen during the day and at night
  
• Alternative sites analysis
  
• Adequate financial surety, either in cash or letter of credit, to repair damage to local roads and to stabilize the entire construction site during construction of the project. The financial surety should be available to the municipality in the event the municipality is forced to conduct work to secure the stability of the soil and vegetation on the site, including the access road, after construction is completed.
  
• Sufficient decommissioning funds, kept in an escrow account associated with the property that is separate from the developer's general accounts, so that the site will be restored to natural conditions if the project is not repowered at the end of its useful life.
  
• A contingency plan that outlines mitigation action, in the event of unforeseen and unacceptable negative impacts from the completed project.
  
• Financial assistance to the town to pay for the hiring of qualified engineering, environmental, and legal consultants to assist the Town in reviewing the application and establishing local revenue agreements.

Londonderry Town Plan: Selected Extracts

The following selected extracts from Londonderry's Town Plan embody the overwhelming desire of local residents and property owners to maintain Londonderry's rural character, in particular, the pleasing mountain and valley vistas  that are critically important resources central to Londonderry's welfare and well-being.

As such, the Londonderry Town Plan specifically prohibits large scale wind generation facilities within the Resource Conservation Overlay District which includes Glebe Mountain. 

LAND USE
Lines 347-356

Londonderry residents and property owners have overwhelmingly stated a desire that the Town maintain its rural character while seeking to develop additional and better paying employment opportunities. To this end, the Town’s Land Use Goals, Plan and Regulations should seek the best possible approaches to provide for responsible economic health while maintaining the rural character of the Town. Maintaining rural character includes preserving farmlands, woodlands, undeveloped open space, natural stream banks and lake/pond shorelines, and ridgelines together with supporting land-based and outdoor activities and concentrating growth in specified growth centers.

Resource Conservation (RC) Overlay District.
Lines 482-486

The purpose of the Resource Conservation Overlay District is to protect significant forest and scenic resources, sensitive headwater streams and wildlife habitat at higher elevations and to prevent development on ridgelines, steep slopes, and shallow soils and in areas with poor access to public roads, municipal services and commercial centers.

Policies
Lines 502-527

• Encourage land use that is consistent with the maintenance of the Town’s rural character and historic settlement patterns. 
• Direct land use development, both commercial and residential, to preserve large open spaces and prevent strip development between growth centers.
• Designate and limit additional commercial and industrial locations to those areas immediately adjacent to commercial areas in village centers.
• Encourage and support density bonus incentives for cluster development, both commercial and residential, to enhance preservation of open space and the traditional sense of community.
• Encourage the assessment of possible impacts of current or potential growth on the rural character of the Town.
• Encourage a continuous effort to obtain as much information as possible about the land and its capabilities.
• Understand the status of wastewater disposal in villages in order to adequately identify and plan for current and future capacity and needs.
• Continue to employ the nine (9) land use districts designations in order to retain the Town’s rural character and natural beauty.

ECONOMY

Policies
Lines 644-664

• Seek business and employment opportunities that provide a livable wage and quality work.
• Support the educational and cultural infrastructure of Londonderry.
• Require that commercial development be oriented toward positive community growth, favoring businesses that consider, respect and respond to identified community values.
• Seek creative commercial development compatible with the rural and scenic character of the Town.
• Encourage the adaptive reuse of buildings for commercial and residential development.
• Maintain high environmental standards for existing and new commercial, governmental and residential development.
• Seek community support services that are sensitive to and consistent with environmental goals and community values.

The rural character of Londonderry is composed of a scenic natural landscape with traditional New England settlement patterns and architectural designs that are of critical importance to the community's identity.
 
The Natural landscape includes open space, working and non-working agricultural lands, managed and unmanaged forest land, as well as Glebe Mountain, Cobble Hill, and other surrounding ridgelines. The Glebe Mountain ridgeline, which defines the eastern boundary of the town, is not only the Town's paramount scenic resource, but also has regional significance.  Given Glebe's geomorphic characteristics that provide near and distant scenic views throughout the mountain valley region, development on the ridgeline would irrevocably alter a highly visible, highly valued, and highly visited landscape. Consequently, the Glebe Mountain ridgeline is included in the Resource Conservation Overlay District so as to carefully control development and prohibit all commercial activities other than forest management, recreation and the continued operation of Magic Mountain Ski Area. (emphasis added)
 
Londonderry’s dams and waterways, long and short-range views, scenic roadways and scenic corridors also contribute to the rural character of the community. Boynton, Hell’s Peak, Mansfield, Middletown, Reilly, Under Mountain and Winhall Hollow Roads are Town-designated Scenic Roads while Vermont Routes 11 and 100 are State designated Scenic Corridors.
 
Policies
Lines 1067-1079

• Maintain natural and man-made features that are of local scenic, cultural and historic significance and protect them from activities that impair their integrity, character and/or quality.
• Encourage landowners to consider the Town’s heritage and natural resources when developing their property through careful design and siting of all structures, access and parking lots, utility installation, lighting and landscaping.
• Encourage cluster development to avoid fragmentation of larger parcels of land, retain open space, conserve agricultural and forestland and maintain scenic values.
• Encourage compatible and responsible use of lands adjacent to or including areas of scenic, historical, educational, architectural, or archaeological value.
  
  

Renewable Energy
Lines 1749-1759

Renewable energy resources that may be available in Londonderry include wood, limited wind, solar and hydropower. The extent to which these sources can be harnessed and used to replace fossil fuels is not clear, however rising fuel prices, new technologies, and the availability since 1998 of ‘net metering’-which allows utility customers with small-scale renewable energy systems to sell excess power generated back to the utility- may promote increased use of renewable sources.
 
Each of the four forms of renewable energy cited, however, may conflict in whole or in part with other policies of this plan and must be carefully evaluated.  Non-commercial energy generation facilities (i.e. net-metered facilities and facilities that are not connected to the regional power grid) generally pose the potential for fewer impacts than larger scale commercial projects.
 

WindPower                                                                                                                                                  Lines 1805-1823                                                                                                

Wind power, like hydro and solar power, is an energy source that is not depleted with use.  Wind power is now receiving a significant amount of attention statewide for utility and small-scale electrical generation.  In contrast to wind power's potential as a naturally recurring resource, commercial wind power generation facilities pose potential negative impacts.  In Londonderry, these potential impacts include:

• aesthetic impacts associated with facility siting in highly visible, high elevation areas;
• wildlife impacts including direct impacts and secondary impacts, such as habitat fragmentation and disturbance
• impacts to significant natural or cultural features in the vicinity
• water quality impacts associated with development located at high elevations and on steep slopes and shallow soils;
• quality of life and health impacts related to noise and lighting;
• surface water runoff and soil erosion associated with site clearing and development, including road access;
• safety hazardds associated with blade speed, breakage and ice throw;
• economic impacts associated with potential for diminished real estate values and regional tourism
• and insignificant community benefit from such facilities.

Lines 1825-1836

The nature of commercial windmill development requires such facilities to be developed at higher elevations, generally along ridgelines with elevations of 2,000-3,500 feet.  In Londonderry, the most feasible generation sites also correspond with the areas identifies as being among the most important lands for protection-including the Town's most sensitive ecological areas, most wild and unfragmented recreation land, and most prominent aesthetic landmarks, which are highly visible from designated natural areas, scenic roads, historic sites and historic districts. These lands have been included within the town's Resource Conservation Overlay District since the current zoning bylaw was adopted in 2000.  As with hydropower, scattered, small-scale generation facilities provide greater potential for local residents to benefit from wind energy without imposing the negative impacts described above on the community. (emphasis added)
 
Policies:
Lines 1840-1870

1. Support appropriate renewable energy generation in Londonderry, including bio-mass using local wood supplies, solar and dispersed, small-scale wind and hydro-power sources. Large scale wind generation and hydro-power facilities, however, are discouraged and shall be prohibited within the Resource Conservation Overlay District and on the main stem of the West River, respectively. (emphasis added)             
2. Maintain the Town's scenic resources and Resource Conservation Overlay District by protecting them from commercial energy generation and new transmission facilities.           
3. Encourage any potential commercial energy facilities to be within the areas deemed most suitable.                                                                                                                                            
4. Support the use of energy efficient automobiles, appliances, heating units, lighting and other power devices.                                                                                                                              
5. Support programs for insulation and weatherization of new and existing facilities, especially for low and moderate-income households.                                                                     
6. Encourage and support awareness programs on energy conservation and the availability and use of renewable and alternative fuels.                                                                  
7. Encourage, through transportation policies, opportunities for walking, cycling and other energy efficient alternatives to the automobile.                                                                                
8. Promote land use and conservation policies that encourage ongoing forest management to maintain a local source of fuel-wood and local agriculture to maintain and increase the supply of locally produced food.                                                                          
9. Minimize the need for new facilities and reliance on the private automobile by directing development to designated growth centers, and limiting such development in the least accessible areas of the community.