By Katie Farrell
Staff writer
January 13, 2009 12:15 am
NEWBURYPORT — After a few days of weather that was just too windy, the final piece of the turbine at Mark Richey Woodworking went up yesterday.
The turbine won't become fully operational nor start turning for a few weeks.
"We are in great shape; we had a perfect day with almost no wind," Richey said.
Richey, who first got permission from the City Council last summer to erect the 600-kilowatt Elecon TurboWinds turbine on his Parker Street property, watched from the roof of his building in the industrial park as the hub and rotors were connected to the turbine.
"It was great," he said. "This was the big day we were waiting for. It was very exciting at that moment."
The 292-foot-tall turbine began going up slowly last week, but the project had to stop when wind gusts became too strong toward the end of last week.
The turbine installation has drawn some criticism from neighbors of the industrial park. Residents in the Hill Street/Back Bay neighborhood have appealed the city's decision to grant permission for the turbine, raising concern about the impact the structure would have, such as the whirring noise it will generate, safety, low-level vibrations and the visual effect called "flicker" that wind turbines create when the afternoon light hits them.
That appeal is still progressing through the court system. City councilors recently said that once the lawsuit — which names the city in it— is settled, they will review the ordinance they passed last summer regulating the installation of turbines in the city.
Andrew Morris, one of the leaders in the Back Bay Association, said yesterday he's hoping the fears the neighbors have over the structure — such as public safety and health concerns — won't happen.
"I'm kind of holding my breath," Morris said. "But I guess, overall, I'm still opposed to it. I think there are other ways he could have gone. I just think the whole way it went about upset me."
The neighbors have said the city could have done more to communicate to them about the proposal and to inform them of meetings about the plan.
"I felt it wasn't an open communication process; a lot of people had no clue," Morris said.
Morris, who was looking at the turbine from his house on Cherry Street, said the turbine was as big as he expected.
"It didn't look as ominous before the blades went up," he said, adding he still has concerns about ice throw, flicker and noise. The neighbors aren't against green energy and don't have a not-in-my-backyard mind-set, Morris said, but they have worries with the turbine's location so close to a neighborhood, roads and businesses.
"There's too many issues; there's too many known things that can go wrong with it," Morris said. "We don't know whether they'll happen or not."
"It's pretty ugly. I don't find it pretty, maybe other people do," Morris added. "I have a lot of trepidation; I don't know what to think yet. I'm hoping skeptics are wrong and it won't be as bad as people say."
City Council President James Shanley, who has been a supporter of the project, said he visited the site Saturday, before the rotors were up.
"Tall, impressive," Shanley said, when asked his initial reaction.
Three others were also on hand, looking at the nacelle and tower, Shanley said. "They thought it was just wonderful."
One thanked the City Council for paving the way for Richey to put up the turbine, Shanley said.
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