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News Feature

Brooksville
Originally published in The Weekly Packet, October 27, 2011
Brooksville voters to weigh in on wind power ordinance

by Faith DeAmbrose

When Brooksville voters head to the Public Service Building to cast their ballots in the November 8 general election, they will have one town-specific referendum question on which to weigh-in.

“Shall an ordinance titled “Town of Brooksville Wind Energy Systems Ordinance” be enacted?” is the question on the local ballot.

Voters had the opportunity to learn about the ordinance during two public meetings held last month.

As reported in the September 29 issue of The Weekly Packet, the maximum tower height would be 100 feet. Since the length of a rotor blade is typically one-half the tower height, the total height would be about 150 feet to the tip of the blade at the top of its arc. (This contrasts with the approximate 400-foot blade tip height for the wind turbines on Vinalhaven.)

The maximum allowable power output of a turbine would be 50 kilowatts. The maximum sound level at a property boundary would be 35 decibels.

The ordinance requires that a surety bond be posted for facilities between 10 and 50 kW to cover the cost of removal if a tower is abandoned.

The proposed Wind Energy System Ordinance is available for viewing in its entirety at the town’s Web site, brooksvillemaine.org.

The ordinance will be voted on by referendum ballot at the election on Tuesday, November 8. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Public Service Building.

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