Neighbors Oppose Wind Turbine

Published on June 14, 2010

BRISTOL — Neighbors of a Bristol businessman hoping to build a 118-foot-tall wind turbine in his back yard have come out in force to oppose the plan. Joseph Coelho, the owner of Safe-Way Auto Sales at 61 Gooding Ave., has asked the Bristol Zoning Board of Review for permission to install the turbine. The board held a lengthy public hearing Monday night but failed to make a decision after the meeting ran too long.

Mr. Coelho was the first applicant on the meeting’s agenda, but the public hearing lasted so long, the board postponed the issue until its July meeting.

This isn’t the first time the proposal has been pushed back. Mr. Coelho’s application was postponed during an April meeting after discussions ran until 11 p.m. Mr. Coelho previously stated he is confident the turbine will work as proposed at the high point of Gooding Avenue; he estimates six knots of wind continually flows above his property, and just two knots are necessary to propel the turbine.

According to Bristol Zoning Enforcement Office Ed Tanner, the discussions at Monday’s meeting were long and heated. Some residents brought informational packets on wind energy for members to read. Others distributed flyers in mailboxes, helping bring a large audience Monday night. Some filed their objections ahead of time.

William Goneau, a Smith Street resident and senior engineer for System Engineering Associates Corp. (SEA CORPS), wrote a letter to zoning board members asking to deny the petition for the variance on grounds that the proposed wind turbine does not comply with R.I. Department of Environmental Management (DEM) wind power recommendations. He said the noise standards and distance to roads and property lines are not in keeping with the agency’s standards.

“I hope that the board takes advantage of the wisdom and efforts put forth by the R.I. DEM, which are intended to support zoning decisions and to safeguard the community. Approval of the project, based on economic advantage to the applicant and collective desire to foster renewable energy projects, would create a potentially dangerous situation,” he wrote, also making the point that if the variance is granted, it will be harder to prevent similar variances from being sought.

But, other parties were in favor of the turbine. In a May 3 letter written on behalf of Save Bristol Harbor, group vice president Tony Morettini urged support for the wind turbine because the energy is environmentally beneficial.

“We cannot envision a more responsible environmental practice that will provide long-term benefits than encouraging the development of alternative energy sources. With the recent tragic events in the Gulf of Mexico, we are reminded that reliance on carbon-based fuels are neither environmentally sound, nor safe in the long-run,” Mr. Morettini wrote.

The Bristol Town Council is considering revisions to town code to address wind turbines or wind energy conversion systems (WECS). The proposal requires wind turbines to be located on a minimum of five acres, not exceed 150 meters, sit back from a property line a distance equal to the tower’s height, and comply with town noise regulations.

However, Mr. Coelho is exempt from any new codes because he originally applied in April. His proposed turbine is considered an “accessory structure” and only needs a variance to allow him to build over 35 feet.