THE FARMER’S WIFE
First, I would like to thank each & every member of the boards along with the Town Supervisor of Cohocton. You have tried to plan ahead and look for ways to help Cohocton and its residents. Any industry has pros & cons but they need to be weighed. You have taken a lot of abuse, as has Sandy Riely, while just trying to do your jobs.
Cohocton has an opportunity to go forward as a pioneer in wind producing energy. A small group of people keep talking about the farmers, land owners and/or lease holders who should be good to their neighbors and consider their feelings. WE ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE PAID TAXES ON THE LAND THAT YOU CALL “YOUR VIEW,” that you hold so dear. We have provided the means to your pleasure including land to hunt on, driving ATV’s & four wheelers, horseback riding, etc. Why do your posted signs mean so much more than ours?? You feel is ok to go through the fields (our crops which we need to harvest to pay taxes) without a care. It is just a field who cares! If stopped, “Oh, I didn’t know, is supposed to make it ok. Try that on Mr. Hall’s land! You be sued! Litigation is how he makes his living, so he says!
You expect permission, when you do take the time to ask, to hunt, trap, hike, snowmobile, etc., but say we are mean, selfish and not accepting of you into our community if told no. NOW YOU WANT TO TELL US WE CAN’T HARVEST ANOTHER CROP WHICH COMES AT A CRUCIAL TIME FOR MANY OF OUR LOCAL FARMERS. WE HAVE BEEN MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITITY FOR MANY GENERATIONS AND DO NOT MAKE DECISIONS CONCERNING OUR LAND HASTILY OR BECAUSE A FEW $$$ HAVE BEEN OFFERED US.
FARMING IS A WAY OF LIFE, NOT JUST A JOB THAT YOU CHANGE BECAUSE IT ISN’T MAKING YOU ENOUGH MONEY. THE LAND IS IN YOUR BLOOD AND YOU TAKE CARE OF IT.
We pay taxes every year-the 1% of us that are being threatened & harassed pay approximately 10% of the taxes collected in this township-so that you can enjoy the scenery on OUR LAND. We would like to put windmills on our land. What other business has come knocking on our door?? EVERYONE DOES BENEFIT FROM MONEY THAT IS PUT INTO TOWN, COUNTY AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS. Contributing dollars locally is good for all of us. This project isn’t without hassles and traffic during construction, but that also brings $$ to businesses. Remember construction of Rt. 390-can you imagine the congestion if we didn’t have that road now? How about when Rt. 15 was changed at the top of Maple and North Dansville St.-telephone lines have been run, as well as electric lines, IT IS PROGRESS-HELPING TOWARDS THE FUTURE OF OUR GRANDCHILDREN- WITH WIND POWER THERE ISN’T ANY HAZARDOUS WASTE TO TRANSPORT OR STORE ANYWHERE! Let’s be the 1st 5% of the future as the project is developed.
Mr. Hall’s website, featuring the American Flag displayed upside down with the silhouette of a man with some sort of rifle across is offensive, but that is his choice. He built his home like a fortress and then planted many trees purposely blocking a view across a valley that had been visible to his neighbors for many years, and then put a copper topped roof on it-I’M SURE HE DIDN’T ASK TO HAVE HIS BLUEPRINTS VOTED ON BY THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN OF COHOCTON. Does it reflect blinding light from the sun? WHO CARES?! It is his right to do what he wants with his land because he owns it and pays taxes-NOT HIS FAIR SHARE AS HE SUED THE TOWN TO GET A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION-but he does pay taxes. He is NOT paying the taxes on the land he views from his home.
Let’s all try to support the positives of this project. COHOCTON NEEDS HELP…do we want to generate some $$$ here or wait for the government to say we need clean safe energy and take the necessary measures to put a project in. It could be your land they decide to use, without any setback restrictions.
I’M ASKING THE HEART AND SOUL OF THIS COMMUNITY, COHOCTON, not Naples, Prattsburgh or anywhere else to support the landowners, lease holders and farmer. Let’s look at the positives of this project not the distorted picture that the anti-wind group is trying to show. They even put a DISCLAINER at the bottom of Mr. Strasburg’s questions presented to The Planning Board: stating; ALL THE FACTS WINDWATCH PRINTED MAY NOT BE TRUE. I guess you were supposed to check that out for yourself! Did you read the small print at the end of Mr. Strasburg’s paper?
One last thing, another bus trip is being planned to go to Fenner; please take the time to go and see a Wind Project for yourself. Why Fenner and not Tug Hill? Fenner has a similar placing of wind turbines that will be constructed in Cohocton. The Tug Hill project does not have the same set backs and placement as the Cohocton Wind Project.
Cohocton Wind Watch, bully away-just remember we will all be neighbors no matter what decision is made. Just like the school merger, we may disagree but in the end we all have to live together.
Respectfully,
Pat Drum (farmer’s wife)
First, I would like to thank each & every member of the boards along with the Town Supervisor of Cohocton. You have tried to plan ahead and look for ways to help Cohocton and its residents. Any industry has pros & cons but they need to be weighed. You have taken a lot of abuse, as has Sandy Riely, while just trying to do your jobs.
Cohocton has an opportunity to go forward as a pioneer in wind producing energy. A small group of people keep talking about the farmers, land owners and/or lease holders who should be good to their neighbors and consider their feelings. WE ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE PAID TAXES ON THE LAND THAT YOU CALL “YOUR VIEW,” that you hold so dear. We have provided the means to your pleasure including land to hunt on, driving ATV’s & four wheelers, horseback riding, etc. Why do your posted signs mean so much more than ours?? You feel is ok to go through the fields (our crops which we need to harvest to pay taxes) without a care. It is just a field who cares! If stopped, “Oh, I didn’t know, is supposed to make it ok. Try that on Mr. Hall’s land! You be sued! Litigation is how he makes his living, so he says!
You expect permission, when you do take the time to ask, to hunt, trap, hike, snowmobile, etc., but say we are mean, selfish and not accepting of you into our community if told no. NOW YOU WANT TO TELL US WE CAN’T HARVEST ANOTHER CROP WHICH COMES AT A CRUCIAL TIME FOR MANY OF OUR LOCAL FARMERS. WE HAVE BEEN MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITITY FOR MANY GENERATIONS AND DO NOT MAKE DECISIONS CONCERNING OUR LAND HASTILY OR BECAUSE A FEW $$$ HAVE BEEN OFFERED US.
FARMING IS A WAY OF LIFE, NOT JUST A JOB THAT YOU CHANGE BECAUSE IT ISN’T MAKING YOU ENOUGH MONEY. THE LAND IS IN YOUR BLOOD AND YOU TAKE CARE OF IT.
We pay taxes every year-the 1% of us that are being threatened & harassed pay approximately 10% of the taxes collected in this township-so that you can enjoy the scenery on OUR LAND. We would like to put windmills on our land. What other business has come knocking on our door?? EVERYONE DOES BENEFIT FROM MONEY THAT IS PUT INTO TOWN, COUNTY AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS. Contributing dollars locally is good for all of us. This project isn’t without hassles and traffic during construction, but that also brings $$ to businesses. Remember construction of Rt. 390-can you imagine the congestion if we didn’t have that road now? How about when Rt. 15 was changed at the top of Maple and North Dansville St.-telephone lines have been run, as well as electric lines, IT IS PROGRESS-HELPING TOWARDS THE FUTURE OF OUR GRANDCHILDREN- WITH WIND POWER THERE ISN’T ANY HAZARDOUS WASTE TO TRANSPORT OR STORE ANYWHERE! Let’s be the 1st 5% of the future as the project is developed.
Mr. Hall’s website, featuring the American Flag displayed upside down with the silhouette of a man with some sort of rifle across is offensive, but that is his choice. He built his home like a fortress and then planted many trees purposely blocking a view across a valley that had been visible to his neighbors for many years, and then put a copper topped roof on it-I’M SURE HE DIDN’T ASK TO HAVE HIS BLUEPRINTS VOTED ON BY THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN OF COHOCTON. Does it reflect blinding light from the sun? WHO CARES?! It is his right to do what he wants with his land because he owns it and pays taxes-NOT HIS FAIR SHARE AS HE SUED THE TOWN TO GET A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION-but he does pay taxes. He is NOT paying the taxes on the land he views from his home.
Let’s all try to support the positives of this project. COHOCTON NEEDS HELP…do we want to generate some $$$ here or wait for the government to say we need clean safe energy and take the necessary measures to put a project in. It could be your land they decide to use, without any setback restrictions.
I’M ASKING THE HEART AND SOUL OF THIS COMMUNITY, COHOCTON, not Naples, Prattsburgh or anywhere else to support the landowners, lease holders and farmer. Let’s look at the positives of this project not the distorted picture that the anti-wind group is trying to show. They even put a DISCLAINER at the bottom of Mr. Strasburg’s questions presented to The Planning Board: stating; ALL THE FACTS WINDWATCH PRINTED MAY NOT BE TRUE. I guess you were supposed to check that out for yourself! Did you read the small print at the end of Mr. Strasburg’s paper?
One last thing, another bus trip is being planned to go to Fenner; please take the time to go and see a Wind Project for yourself. Why Fenner and not Tug Hill? Fenner has a similar placing of wind turbines that will be constructed in Cohocton. The Tug Hill project does not have the same set backs and placement as the Cohocton Wind Project.
Cohocton Wind Watch, bully away-just remember we will all be neighbors no matter what decision is made. Just like the school merger, we may disagree but in the end we all have to live together.
Respectfully,
Pat Drum (farmer’s wife)
posted by Yes! Wind Power for Cohocton at
8:57 AM
4 Comments:
Mrs. Drum,
We all pay property taxes. The amount of taxes you pay doesn't give you more say.
Every property has included with it what is called "bundled rights", these rights are as old as our Constitution, and were not invented in Cohocton, NY.
I'm sure you would agree that the person with one acre doesn't have a right to bother the person with 1000 acres or vice versa.
But, it goes further than that.
Someone at some point for some reason, decided to zone all the land in Cohocton, including your land and mine.
Zoning law spells out what the land can be used for --- the purposes. This is done to protect all the land owners, not the few, the many.
Zoning here in Cohocton is well published and has been this way for many years. A developer knocking on your door, doesn't change that.
I would imagine your land is zoned agricultural/residential (AG-R). It's not zoned industrial/commerical (IC). Cohocton has both zones.
So, you couldn't for example, if Walmart came here and offered you a lease, decide to put up a Walmart warehouse. That would be against zoning.
I couldn't for example, put up a 24 hour race track with stadium lights, or an adult bookstore. Or any other commerical enterprise of my choosing. Why not? My land is not zoned commerical.
This is a surprise of mine when I hear people say "it's my land and I can do with it what I want to". As you can see, that really isn't true. There is a zoning board, there is a zoning enforcement officer. What is thier purpose?
Although you may decide call it farming --- there's nothing in an industral wind turbine project that is a "crop", or accepted as farming or agriculture, any more than the I-390 project. You are signing commercial leases with commercial organizations. They aren't farmers and they aren't farming. These are power plants that are 400 feet high, and have FAA strobe lights on them and are about as industrial as it can get.
The very reason that the zoning on your land needs to be changed to allow the turbines is because of that fact. If they truely were a farmer's crop then there would need be no law or zoning changes.
I would hope that your honest dialog would also address that indeed you are in favor of placing industrial power plants on your land and changing the zoning to accomplish this. Just like putting in a Walmart, that's certainly your right to want a change in the zoning for your development.
But, let's be clear, this zoning change is not guaranteed to you, me or anyone else --- just because you are a farmer, or cut down the first tree in Cohocton, or pay alot of taxes, or need the money quite frankly.
We should all agree that changing the zoning will change the purpose of the land. It will be quite difficult once this project goes in, to hold back further industrial projects in the future.
That may not be concern of yours with your land with turbines. But what of your neighbors, who now no longer see a need to keep land ag/residential and decide to bring developments to the table? Good for the goose? How many of you have rally lived with 24 hour industry? It will be interesting.
Again, to my knowledge, since 1970 the land has been zoned AG-R. Many people, including myself, want to keep the zoning as is and do not believe in mixed zoning (industrial mixed with residential). There's many reasons for that, none of which you outlined.
That's the issue here Mrs. Drum: zoning. The issue is not you paying taxes for others view.
Sincerely,
Jim Lince
By
formosa, at 6:21 PM
I am in New Jersey with my fulltime job this morning and I do not have my Zoning laws at hand.
I am not 100% if a racetrack is allowed with a special use permit in AG-R. There is one on Henry Drum road but that might be in Wayland. What I do remember from the law is that you could put in an airport, manufacturing plant, laboratory, or research facility, junk yard, commercial saw mill all are allowed in AG-R with a special use permit.
Now I do not want to define if a wind turbine is manufacturing, and I certainly would not want a lawyer doing the same. Wind turbines were not well known when our zoning laws were put in place. If they were maybe they would have been included in the list.
This is why our town government has the not only the ability but the duty to amend the zoning as needed.
Would you or any one of us feel better if were declared that wind turbines meet an existing definition in our zoning laws? They could be built with no setbacks, no consideration for sound, no consideration for height, numbers could be as many as a developer wished to squeeze in.
Luckily in Cohocton that is not the case. We have a board that is looking to protect us. They are putting together rules not to stifle development in Cohocton but to bring it about in a controlled fashion. Doing exactly what our zoning laws were established to do. Wind turbines will not only have to go through SEQR and obtain a special use permit, but will also have to meet a whole new set of rules unique to them.
By
Anonymous, at 5:13 AM
Special use permits can be given out at the discretion of the Town Board, this does not mean that once the turbines are in that more won't follow. If the turbines don't put out what UPC and Yes!claim, the next thing they will do is put more up claiming it is for the good of our country, and for UPC, Yes! and Town Father Hunt to once again kick those chickens around.
The Town Zoning Law does not have a cap on how many turbines can be put up in our precious scenic,agricultural lands.I am sure that Town Father Hunt will be sure to get those special use permits through for the good of our Town.
As for abuse Mrs. Drum, Cohocton residents against wind turbines are taking a lot of abuse and if this project goes through will take much more abuse 24 hours a day.
You say a small group of people are talking about the farmers, landowners and /or lease holders being good to their neighbors and consider their feelings, open your eyes, it is a much larger group of people in Cohocton that feel this way but you seem to think it is only a small group.
Small or large, for or against, YOU ARE NOT PAYING TAXES FOR OUR VIEW, we are paying taxes for our view. We do not get tax breaks like the farmers, we pay the whole thing.
If you chose to let someone hunt, ATV, 4 wheel, horeback ride that is your choice, I don't think the people that go on posted land are JUST people that are against turbines.
I found it interesting, on the DEC website it states,
"Please don't turn your property into an eyesore by using more(posted) signs than are necessary.Yet we can put turbines up and think they are pretty.
Your statement Mrs. Drum about not giving permision to your land for activities not granted your permisssion has nothing to do with being accepted into what you call our community, I do believe it isn't just anti-wind people on your property.
And again wind is not a crop, it does not get planted, watered, and harvested.
Like farm land, non-farmers land is also in their blood, they buy it, take care of it, pay taxes on it and it means as much to us as to you.
Progress in the shape of wind turbines where I have to worry about my health along with my future grandchildren's health is not the way I want to go. Progress is helping my grandchildren in another way that is non-intrusive, and safe. If we slow down and look at all other alternatives to electric,there is something out there that will truely benefit all.
Bonnie Palmiter
Cohocton
By
Anonymous, at 2:27 PM
hey, i just got thinkin'- remember- it's just a HANDFUL of yahoos [ me included!] that happens to feel strongly enuff to spout off on a blog. I would say, if the locals around Cohocton were REALLY opposed to the windmills, their comments would find their way onto the 'windWatch' ,site. No posts as such exist, ergo no problem with the windmills, in the general populace of the cohocton area. it's just a few people, the same people, yammerin' back and forth. and if the Town Council is leaning towards the windmills then that's 'democracy' in action. Everyone take time to stand 'outside' it: the anti's are self-serving, try to pass off popular opinion as scientific studies,bad science, poor documentation, etc...don't want their view they came from the city for, to be changed, damn the locals! Etc, etc.
By
Anonymous, at 8:28 PM
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