MINUTES
PUBLIC HEARING
WEDNESDA=
Y, MARCH
28, 2007 - 7:30 P.M.
APPLICATION #845 - KURT KARPAVICH<= o:p>
PRESENT:
=
&nb=
sp; =
&nb=
sp; Roger Mitchell
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; Phil
Roger, Acting Secretary
&nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; Enrico Sarandrea, Chai=
rman
ABSENT: &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp;
ALTERNATES PRESENT:<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:2'> &= nbsp; Gary Swingle
&nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; Cynthia Tun
ALTERNATES ABSENT: &=
nbsp; None
OTHERS PRESENT: =
; &n=
bsp; Moosa
Rafey, Assistant Zoning Enforcement Officer
1. =
Call
Meeting To Order
Mr.
Sarandrea, Chairman, Called the Public Hearing to Order at 7:35 p.m.
2. &nb=
sp; Roll
Call
Mr.
Roger, Acting Secretary, executed the Roll Call.
Mr.
Sarandrea, Chairman, asked Mr. Swingle in for Mr. Griffith, in his absence.=
Mr.
Sarandrea, Chairman, read aloud the Ground Rules for the record, as follows=
:
1. =
The applicant or his representative will make his formal presentati=
on
to the Board stating his specific hardship and precisely why this merits a
variance from the Zoning Regulations of the Town of
2. =
All comments, discussions, and observations shall be made through t=
he
Chair after proper recognition by the Chairman. This is necessary to ensure that o=
nly
one person at a time speaks on any issue, thus making it easier for everyon=
e to
understand, and for clearer legal transcription.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION #845
- KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 2
3. =
All persons addressing the Commission shall begin by first clearly
stating their name and address for the record. If necessary, the person may be as=
ked to
spell his or her name for the record.
4. =
Following the presentation of the application, the Zoning Board of
Appeals will ask specific questions of the applicant.
5. =
After the Board has asked its questions of the applicant, I shall t=
hen
allow members of the public who wishes to speak either in favor of this
application or against it to address the Board.
6. =
I shall then allow the applicant to respond to the comments of the
members of the general public.
7. =
I shall then allow any members of the general public who wish to
present any additional information or clarifying discussion to do so.
8. =
I shall then provide an opportunity for the applicant to respond to
these additional remarks if he or his representative so wishes.
9. =
The Zoning Board of Appeals has thirty-five (35) days from the date=
the
Public Hearing commences to complete the Public Hearing. The Board may ask the applicant fo=
r a
thirty-five (35) day extension of the Public Hearing period if the Commissi=
on
requires any additional information or wishes to schedule a site walk to
observe the situation for themselves.
10. =
The Zoning Board of Appeals has sixty-five (65) days from the date =
when
the Public Hearing is closed to render its decision. The Board may or may not make its =
decision
tonight at its Regular Meeting following the Public Hearing.
11. You may stay for the Regular
Meeting if you wish or you may leave at the end of the Public Hearing and
contact the Zoning Office the following morning to determine the status of =
your
Application.
3. Hearing of Cases=
&=
nbsp; A. Application
#845 of Kurt Karpavich for 20 feet height variance to permit the installati=
on
of a 55 feet high wind turbine on a residential property at 60 Farm Circle,=
Watertown,
CT.
&=
nbsp; The
Public Hearing must be Closed by May 2, 2007, unless applicant grants an
extension of time.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 3
&=
nbsp; Mr.
Roger, Acting Secretary, read aloud the Legal Notice for the record as foll=
ows:
"Legal Notice
&=
nbsp; The
Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of
&=
nbsp; Application
#845 of Kurt Karpavich requesting for a 20 feet height variance to permit t=
he
installation of a wind turbine to be approximately 55 feet high located on a
residential property at
&=
nbsp; Section
22.5.2 of the Watertown Zoning Regulations permits maximum height of 35 feet
for a structure in an R-70 Residential Zoning District.
&=
nbsp; At
this Hearing interested persons and written communications will be heard.
&=
nbsp; Dated
at
&=
nbsp; Bruno
Disisto, Secretary
&=
nbsp; Zoning
Board of Appeals"
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Kurt Karpavich,
Mr. Karpavich: We're proposing to put=
a
wind turbine on my property, it's a residential UL rated listed unit, it ha=
s 3
blades on it, I believe the Board has pictures of the unit, it's made to
generate electricity back to the grid.&nbs=
p;
The diameter of the blades are 12 feet and the reason why we're aski=
ng
for the 20 foot variance is performance issues. My next door neighbor, Dave Daddon=
a, if
I have it at 35 feet, which is the maximum height, if he looks out of his b=
edroom
window he's going to see this turbine moving, so that's one of the reasons =
why
we opted to go to a certified tower.
It's a monopole tower, no guide wires, and it's made for residential
applications and it has a UL listed rating, and CL&P is a, would certify
this as a electrical generating unit.
Mr. Sarandrea: How did you come across
this whole deal?
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 4
Mr. Karpavich: Actually it's new for =
this
part of
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> What do you get out of it?
Mr. Karpavich: You get out of it, if =
your
electricity bill is $200, hopefully you should get 50% back with this
unit. And we know that, every=
body
here has looked at their energy bills in the last 2 years.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Who pays (inaudible)?
Mr. Karpavich: I pay to put it in.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> What is your hardship?
Mr. Karpavich: The hardship on it is
actually performance cause if we measure the structure, cause it's listed a=
s a
structure, from tip to ground is 35 feet, just the blades on this unit, the=
re
are 3 blades that are 6 feet in length.&nb=
sp;
There are 2 certified towers right now, one tower is at 32 feet.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Where is that located?
Mr. Karpavich: It's made by manufactu=
rer.
Mr. Sarandrea: Where are there other
towers in
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 5
Mr. Karpavich: I don't have that
information. I'm giving you w=
hat
the manufacturer, this turbine, this is the tower, tower A or tower B, ther=
e is
also a 60 foot tower I believe that's in the works right now but it's an
engineered package, and if you change that package, if you have a 33 foot t=
ower
and you put the turbine on top of it, 33 plus 6, we're about 35 feet. So I could go with that 33 foot to=
wer
and then have a 6 foot blade, but Dave next door to me is going to look out=
of
his window and see this thing spinning right out of his bedroom window, so I
opted to go the next certified tower height. If I can get a certified tower tha=
t will
make this below 35 feet, then it would be a moot issue and I would just go =
to
Zoning and it's classified as a structure.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Moosa, why hasn't he gone to Plann=
ing
and Zoning first?
Mr. Karpavich: It has.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> It went to Planning and Zoning?
Mr. Rafey: They went to the Plann=
ing
and Zoning Commission for a permit for this because of the height, in an R-=
70
residential zone, the maximum height for a (inaudible), so they need a vari=
ance.
Ms. Tun:
Mr. Karpavich: Solar panels in this a=
rea,
there's rebates, there's $25,000 rebates on solar panels, cause the numbers
don't really work out. It's g=
oing
to take about 15 years for a payback.
If the project comes in at $40,000, $45,000, if you get a State Grant
that's $25,000 you have to actually recoup $20,000 to pay this over the cou=
rse
of 15 years, the panels are rated for 20 or 25 years. What's nice about wind generation,=
it's
24 hours a day. I live in
Ms. Tun:
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 6
Mr. Karpavich: At the base it's 10
inches, so it's like a light pole.
That's basically what it looks like. It's a galvanized unit, I was goin=
g to
paint it brown or green or something like that to hide the pole going up.
Mr. Roger:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> On the back here you have a drawin=
g and
it says 55 foot drop zone, what's that for?
Mr. Karpavich: That is the drop zone =
that
I was told to have for safety reasons.&nbs=
p;
Actually the tower is 45 feet (inaudible) and then the 3 blades are 6
feet. So I'm about 51 feet.
Mr. Roger:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> I was just wondering why. I figured that's what it was and I=
was
just looking at the picture and I see a house right next to it.
Mr. Karpavich: There are different re=
gulations
in different areas. There's o=
ne in
Mr. Roger:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> A lot of people don't have that am=
ount
of room, a drop zone that big.
Mr. Karpavich: Well actually they're
telling you that you should have roughly an acre of land to put one of these
things on because of turbulence, the higher the better, that's what makes t=
he
performance on these.
Mr. Rafey:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> When I reviewed this application t=
hat
was my first question, what happened if any of this falls down? (Inaudible.)
Mr. Sarandrea: I've seen them myself =
up
in New York State, they have about 200 of them up there up near Lowellville=
, NY
and what I'd like to know is could this possibly help the whole
neighborhood. I mean your one=
tower
is not enough to . . . .
Mr. Karpavich:<=
/b> No.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Your one tower is just enough to d=
o your
house?
Mr. Karpavich: It wouldn't even do
that. If I'm going to recoup =
50% of
my electricity bill, at one point I could go with a bigger unit, but this u=
nit
is made for small wind. It's =
not
made to be put on the coast, it's not made to be put on top of a high mount=
ain,
it's specifically designed to generate electricity at a small wind, it star=
ts
generating at 8 mph, it's (inaudible).&nbs=
p;
If there is no power in the street it doesn't fly, because you're
actually a power plan generating back to the grid. It has a UL listed rating, it's
certified in
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 7
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Cause the ones I've seen has like =
a 100
foot . . . .
Mr. Karpavich: Oh, they're 83 feet in
length.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> They claim they're powering 1/3 of=
Mr. Karpavich: Exactly. You don't want to generate any mor=
e back
to the utility because CL&P by law has to take your generation, if you
don't exceed your electrical bill they'll pay you at a retail rate, once you
start generating over costs, you're at full center kw, they'll buy it (inau=
dible)
5 times, so it's not a money making proposition now. Will it be down the road, with gre=
en
energy credits? I think yes,
absolutely, but where did you start?
Do I start at the citing council, and say okay this thing is like a =
cell
tower, is that the way to go? Once
there's grant money, subsidy money for small grants, it's coming, then it's
going to put us in a situation where it's not going to be me, it's going to=
be
the guy that called Moosa when I was there asking questions. I'm the first guy here. A lot of people said gee, I don't =
want
it in my back yard for various reasons, I'm going to look at something spin=
ning
around, I may see a shadow from this, I take a look at it, it has a flagpole
with a flag on it, I look at the flag waving, it has less of a footprint th=
an a
flag, and you're not going to hear this thing. I have charts on this, you're not =
going
to hear this whirring. It's n=
ot
like the old turbines where you have transmissions and things like that, it=
's
not on small land. This unit =
is
made for a residential application, it's made to run small wind. After 30 mph it doesn't run, it sh=
uts
down, so it's just, I'm coming here because I have a 33 foot tower, or I co=
uld
get a 45 foot tower, 33 foot tower, yea, but you know, I'm trying to be a n=
ice
guy but, and I said there's an issue there, I can see what Dave is talking
about, but at 45 feet I'm thinking okay, the blades are going to be higher =
and
he's going to see a pole. He'=
s looking
more or less towards my side for his view and I don't own the air rights, I=
own
the land. I'm not a commercial
building where I'd have air rights and land rights, I just have land rights=
.
Mr. Mitchell: How far away from his house are yo=
u?
Mr. Karpavich: If we plotted it on the
drawing, I'm a good, probably 60 feet away.
Mr. Rafey:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> From his house or the neighbor's h=
ouse?
Mr. Mitchell: Where he wants to put =
the
windmill . . . .
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 8
Mr. Karpavich: No, from the drop zone=
is,
say this house, say it's 60 feet, has 60 feet where drop towards his line, =
then
he would have regulations for what 25 feet for an outside line?
Mr. Rafey:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> 20 feet. I think the question was how far i=
s this
from the closest house in the neighborhood?
Mr. Karpavich: I don't have a map in
front of me with a scale, but I would say 80 or 90 feet. And I'm reasonable to move the thi=
ng any
place, but I'm bound by septic system regulations and drop zone regulations,
maybe I should just get the power at 35 feet and that would be it, but then=
I'm
going to put this thing in and I'm not going to be a good neighbor, and tha=
t's
why I'm here, I'd rather ask the questions first.
Mr. Roger:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> Moosa, this drop zone regulation is
something new?
Mr. Rafey: No it's for safety, we
don't want something to happen and the next door neighbor come to the Town
asking why we approved this, what if it falls on my children (inaudible).
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Any one else on the Board have any
questions?
Mr. Karpavich: I brought a representa=
tive
from Solar Right who will actually do the installation if this is approved =
and
he can explain it a little bit more.
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>William White, Solar R=
ights
Mr. White: =
There are a couple of things that y=
ou
brought up that I'd like to address.
First your question of why wind and not solar. Solar is an excellent choice in ce=
rtain
situations. With renewable en=
ergy,
we at Solar Rights as a company, really like to look at it as you know take=
all
of our different options and use them for different situations. In situation where you have a good=
wind
resource, as Kurt does, the wind will be less expensive than the solar
will. And wind has been getti=
ng a
lot of publicity lately especially from the big wind farms that you were
talking about in upstate New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts, and this wind
turbines range anywhere from, this is really one of the smaller turbines th=
at
they make, and they go anywhere from the 1.8 kilowatts up to megawatts and =
most
of the turbines that we've seen and used in the paper are the larger
turbines. This thing is basic=
ally a
telephone pole with a small turbine on it, and the turbine itself is probab=
ly
only about that round and about this wide.=
There's not a lot of mass to it like you would see on the regular
commercial turbines, so for Kurt's situation he has a good wind source, so =
for
him it's more cost effective to go with wind.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 9
The
problem with going with a lower tower which (inaudible), as you get closer =
to
the surrounding structure, the wind is more turbulent which affects the
performance of the turbines, the higher you go the better suction you're go=
ing
to get so from an installation standpoint that going lower is an issue of
performance.
As
far as the setback for a fall zone, is definitely a good requirement. Most jurisdictions have that
requirement. Just so you guys=
can
get an idea of what we're working with, that pole is on a cement slab that'=
s approximately
4 x 4 feet and about 7 feet in the ground.=
In that concrete slab is a rebar cage that is reinforced in that
concrete so we're working with a huge mass that's holding that thing down so
the chances of that tower falling are slim to none. The system also is stamped by a
structural engineer from the manufacturer so based on all the testing as fa=
r as
that goes.
Talking
about energy and what this tower is going to produce for him, this tower is
going to produce approximately 4,000 kilowatt hours per year, so that kind =
of
gives you an idea of what proponents he's going to get. An average home uses anywhere from=
10,000
to 20,000 kilowatt hours a year, so that (inaudible) about 50% of his annual
usage is going to be covered by this tower.
That's
all of the comments that I have, if you guys have any questions for me I'd =
be
more than happy to answer them.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Any one else on the Board have any
questions? Okay, is there any=
one from
the public who wishes to speak for or against this application?
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Dave Daddona,
Mr. Daddona: It seems like this is the first wi=
ndmill
trying to be installed in Watertown, like we're saying there are going to be
more of them, it seems like we should probably have some regulations, we're
being told down at Zoning Office that anything under 35 foot they can put i=
t up
without even coming to a meeting, but it just seems like if there are going=
to
be more of these coming in, there should be certain guidelines that maybe t=
hey
should be maybe a minimum 5 acre lot or a distance from the side line, see
we're closer to my property than maybe 90, 100 feet and it's right outside =
my
bedroom window, so we'll be looking right at this thing spinning (inaudible=
).
Mr. Roger: I understand what you'=
re
saying and this is probably the first application that we've seen, but being
that this is the first application we have to go with the regulations that =
we
have that would cover this type of structure right now, and it's probably
(inaudible) future meetings that this is going to become something popular,
that they're going to have to come with some type of regulations but in the
mean time we have to go with what we have.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 10<= o:p>
Mr. Daddona: Did this fall under
structure by default because there's no specific windmill regulations, so it
fell under that?
Mr. Roger:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> It's considered a structure so the
height of the structure exceeds the minimum or the maximum for the lot, so
that's why he's here getting a variance.&n=
bsp;
As you said, if he didn't have to go above that height, he wouldn't =
even
be here, he could just put it up, he wouldn't even be here, so there's no
regulations on this at all.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> The person that would probably set=
those
regulations would be Planning and Zoning.
Mr. Rafey: That issue can be for =
the
Planning and Zoning Commission to amend their regulations in the future if =
they
want to have a specific regulation, (inaudible) they can add to their regul=
ations,
but at this time we have to follow the regulations that we have, the maximum
height of 35 feet (inaudible) in a residential zone.
Mr. Daddona: And you could put as m=
any
as you want, if somebody wanted to put 10 of these up they could put 10 in
their yard, cause there's no regulations.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Well it wouldn't work because you =
have
that fall zone.
Mr. Swingle: I think he would proba=
bly
become commercial (inaudible).
Mr. Daddona: How about like on
Mr. Roger:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> At this point if they meet the zon=
ing
regulations that we have in place, yes.
Mr. Rafey: On French I think most
lots are very small, they're in an R-12.5 zone (inaudible) square feet.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> So the fall zone probably wouldn't=
work
out. And another thing they w=
ould
have to have wind power.
Ms. Tun: And also I would imagi=
ne
the aesthetics of that would probably be something that anyone would consid=
er
being in the front yard.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Right.
Ms. Tun: That's not something I=
can
imagine anyone wanting to do.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 11<= o:p>
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> And what I've seen on this fall zo=
ne,
you'd probably need about an acre of land.
Mr. Daddona: My line is 50 feet away
and I've got a pool there and my kids, what if something flies off this thi=
ng,
it's not going to just fall, this thing is spinning, the thing could fling =
out,
come through my bedroom window, what about those dangers. It might not have happened yet but=
I
don’t want to be first.
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>William White, Solar R=
ights
Mr. White: The turbine is designe=
d to
spin at very low speeds. The =
blades
are carbon fiber, or fiberglass, so (inaudible) chunks will break off of it=
, so
that's not an issue. I just w=
ant to
say this, you're absolutely, and I come and support you going to the Planni=
ng
Commission and getting zoning to (inaudible). One of the things about wind that =
people
don't realize is that you can't just pop it anywhere. There's a very (inaudible) of
limitations as far as citing, in fact I've gotten hundreds of people calling
for wind, this is the first person who actually had a decent site. You really need to be away from
structures, trees, things like that. You wouldn't be able to put 5 turbi=
nes on
his property just because they need to be spaced far apart, away from each
other, cause they'll create turbulence to each other, so to have that
performance, to make it cost effective, they're going to need to be spaced =
far
apart and be away from high things, trees, buildings, stuff like that.
Mr. Daddona: I think I'm in a little situation =
here
because if he got the variance of the 20 feet, from what he said to me is t=
hat he's
going to push it back further cause he'll have the height and if he doesn't=
get
this variance he's actually going to put it closer to my house, because his=
lot
slopes down. I had another po=
int to
make but it seems like I'm not sure which way to go with it now cause most =
of
my points don't even really matter.
Ms. Tun: I've done some reading=
on
wind turbines and solar panels myself cause I'm looking to do it personally
actually, and I have to tell you that I have great faith in the product that
this gentleman is talking about based on my research. I think if you did a little resear=
ch on
wind turbines, you'll find that they're really exceedingly safe and I think
that they wouldn't be having wind turbines upstate
Mr. Daddona: I have some pictures of where this =
is
going to go.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> We're going to end up taking a site
walk, so we'll see it all then.
Mr. Daddona: This is my property, looking at thi=
s,
this is from my deck looking out, this is hi house, and this is (inaudible)
line here.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 12<= o:p>
Mr. Swingle: Is there a place that you would
prefer? Would it be better cl=
oser or
farther away from your property line?
Mr. Daddona: If it was going to be put in, then I
would prefer it to be down by the back tree line, but because his lot slopes
down he'd have to put a taller one in to get it back there, if that's where
he's going to be putting it. =
He's
saying that as I look, you see the view, I mean it's not a tunnel view that=
I'm
going to be looking past that, it's going to become a permanent fixture in =
our
life, we're going to be looking at that thing every day. Kurt and I both designed our houses=
to
look out at that view, our decks, our patios, our pool, everything is desig=
ned
that way. He has a great deck=
with
a gazebo and a hot tub out there, but this is on his garage side, it's not
going to interfere with his view, it's going to be in my view cause of the =
way
the houses are designed. It's=
just
something that I'm going to be dealing with and it's going to be there, and
they said it doesn’t make noise, but I think anything that has moving
parts has to make noise. You =
live
at the low noise, I think on a nice cool night in the Summer when we have o=
ur
window open I'm sure we're going to hear something and even a dripping fauc=
et
can drive you crazy if you're sitting there listening to it.
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Scott Stewart,
Mr. Stewart: I'm all for green energy and what =
not
but before this Board one of the prerequisites would be the hardship. What is the hardship here? I wanted to add 20 feet to my hous=
e, I
don't think anyone would be entertaining that. This thing has a payback from what=
the
gentleman is saying of 30 something years if the green credits don't come
through. There is no economic
hardship. Everyone in the
neighborhood has to pay for their electricity through CL&P and what
not. I think you need a bigge=
r lot
and you're establishing a precedent here before anyone really looks at it.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> If you approve this and it's not i=
n the
zoning, I don't know that it's going to go before P & Z and what not, b=
ut
are they really going to take time to actually change the regulations, and
really look at this thing? Wh=
at is
the db rating from "x" number of feet for sound? I've never seen a fan spin that's
silent. If this goes through =
and
precedent is set, pop one here, pop one there, this is acre and a half zoni=
ng
in this area and I think it's a danger to the property values. I looked into putting one in at my=
house
and checked on the Internet and saw that, I didn't get into it as far as Mr.
Karpavich did, but I look at my neighbor and if I’m going to put that
thing there and they're going to see that big pole and something spinning s=
o if
he puts it up higher, the Daddona's don't get to see it spin but they still=
get
to see the pole in front of them. I
mean there are property value issues here we need to look at it. When we got into an industrial par=
k and
realize that's a different place and what not, but you have houses next to
industrial parks and you hear the hum of compressors at night, you hear fan=
s at
night. If you're in an acre a=
nd a
half residential district, should you really be exposed to really something
that is kind of industrial in nature?
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 13<= o:p>
Mr. Roger: =
Good point, but you have to underst=
and that
he doesn't even need to be here if he (inaudible) he could just put it up.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> At this point giving him a 20 foot
height variance is going to raise it up, it will perform better, maybe it's=
not
going to help you, it's going to help him, but he could just go ahead and p=
ut
it in.
Mr. Stewart: That's true, Mr. Roger, but he has=
no
economic hardship. There is n=
one.
Mr. Roger: =
Economics has nothing to do with the
hardship, that's not a, it's something we don't deal with in the hardship.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> The hardship right now is if he pu=
ts it
lower, it's a performance issue. He
wants to put it higher to get a performance, that's what we need to deal wi=
th.
Mr. Stewart: So what if I were a painter or an =
artist
and I wanted to raise the height of my house up put a big gazebo or somethi=
ng
like up there, an astronomer, so I could do my craft and take picture, I wo=
uld
be able to add 20 feet to the height of my house in a residential area and =
that
would pass this Board?
Mr. Roger: =
We have given height variances befo=
re and
it's all dealt on an individual basis.&nbs=
p;
Everybody has their own hardships and their own reasons for what they
want, and we would deal with that if you wanted that, but right not we're
dealing with his issue, which is a height issue.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Every application is dealt with on=
its
own merit.
Mr. Roger: =
Right, like I said he doesn't even =
need
to be here, he could put it up with a tower and not even need a variance, s=
o I
mean at this point to penalize him because you don't want to look at it, yo=
u're
going to end up looking at it anyway if it's lower. So you have to look at it from both
ends.
Mr. Stewart: It's a dangerous thing to have this
thing pop in here and not have any regulations set in place before hand and=
I
realize that is a P & Z issue, I hope they look at that very carefully =
because
we're talking about property values here.
Mr. Swingle: (Inaudible) accessory use to a
residential?
Mr. Stewart: This gentleman has a view of the v=
alley
going down that he looks out at in the yard, and he sees all the colorful t=
rees
and what not. Guess what? His view now has a pole and a wind
turbine in the way. How about=
his
hardship? Thank you.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 14<= o:p>
Mr. Rafey: =
When I reviewed this application the
actual hardship is the topography of his lot. If you look at this map it doesn't=
show
the contours, but the front of the lot is kind of flat and then it (inaudib=
le). If that tower is in front probably=
35
feet height (inaudible). That=
is
the actual hardship. Financial
hardship is not a hardship, you know that, you can't grant a variance on th=
at.
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Joe Daddona,
Mr. Daddona: I have 2 grandchildren that play in=
the
yard constantly and I'm just wondering how safe is this because we have a l=
ot
of debris, we have a tremendous amount of wind up there, and we have a lot =
of
debris flying around up there on a windy day, branches, twigs, whatever, bi=
rds
all over the place, can you guarantee the safety of my grandchildren? If something happens who is respon=
sible
if somebody should get hurt in my son's yard, who would be responsible? In other words . . . .
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> It would be just like anything els=
e.
Mr. Roger: =
Just like anything else, if his dog=
bit
your kids he'd be responsible.
Mr. Daddona: I just wanted to put that on recor=
d.
Mr. Roger: =
That's a legal issue that you would=
have
to take up. At this point tha=
t's a
legality which . . . .
Mr. Daddona: But you can understand the conditi=
ons here,
the kids are running around the yard . . . .
Mr. Roger: =
We're here to deal with one issue, =
sir,
height variance.
Mr. Daddona: How about safety? Save your children.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Our charge is safety . . . .
Mr. Daddona: Did anybody look into that?
Many
people talking at once (inaudible).
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 15<= o:p>
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> But just to put your mind at rest,=
the
first time I saw a wind turbine, 2 years ago, like I said up in
William
White, Solar Rights
Mr. White: =
Yea, it has to be 8 mph wind.
Mr. Daddona: We get 30, 40 mph 30 mph is nothing=
up
there.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> But it doesn't (inaudible). It will shut down.
Mr. Daddona: By 30 mph that thing has to be turn=
ing.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> That was one of the questions I ha=
d when
I was up there, because I was noticing that some of them were spinning and =
then
there were a little further in the distance and they stopped, and I thought
something was wrong with them. These
are all on farms though, and I asked a couple of people that were up there =
and
what happens is, like he's saying, they shut down, when they get a certain =
wind
speed . . . .
Mr. Daddona: I just want to go on record.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Yea, like I said, I'm not an exper=
t, but
. . . . .
Mr. Daddona: If there is any harm done to anybod=
y in
the yard I just want to go on record, that's all. Thank you.
Mr. White:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> The rpm's, it's rated between 15 a=
nd 325
revolutions per minute, the survivability speed is 135 mph, so we get it
classified at (inaudible) the wind turbine is probably the last thing you're
going to be worrying about, but the speed on that, like Kurt was saying abo=
ut
the noise and I know you guys don't deal with that but just for the public,=
the
noise is rated at between 40 and 60 decibels which is approximately the
conversation we're having. The
thing about wind turbines is added to the noise of the turbines is 1/3 of t=
he
noise of the room, so the wind blowing in his yard is going to practically
drown out the noise of the turbine.
Mr. Roger: =
How long have you been working for =
this
company?
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 16<= o:p>
Mr. White:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> About 1.5 to 2 years.
Mr. Roger: =
And there are other employees there=
that
probably have been there longer?
Mr. White:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> Yes.
Mr. Roger: =
Through your experience or their
experience, did you ever see a blade on these fail?
Mr. White:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> No.
This is a new product. This turbine
has been out for about 6 months now.
Previously in this technology what would happen is the turbine would=
put
out db power and would need to be connected to an inverter. This turbine has an inverter built=
directly
into it so it's (inaudible) so this is a newer product, Southwest Wind Tower
the manufacturer, has been around for maybe 30 years in small scale turbine=
s,
their niche is mostly marine and small off grade systems so they've been do=
ing
this for quite a long time.
Mr. Sarandrea:<= /b> How many if these do you have up?<= o:p>
Mr. White: =
Since this is a new product we have=
n't
installed any of this specific product.&nb=
sp;
Most of the things that we've been doing lately is larger scale thin=
gs. We do a lot of the ecological towe=
rs
that are 50 and 46 (inaudible).
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> I'm talking about windmills, how m=
any
windmills have you put up?
Mr. White:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> We've put up medialogical towers a=
nd the
wind turbines this would be our first one for this scale, we've worked with
other companies on larger scales but wind in this area is pretty new.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> All I'm asking you is, you're not
answering my question, how many wind turbines have you put up? Not in this area, how many have yo=
u put
up? Your company?
Mr. White: =
Zero.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> You have never put up a wind turbi=
ne?
Mr. White: =
Well that's a good question. I personally have never, in the pa=
st
couple of years we haven't done any.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> None?
Mr. White: =
No, because the wind is new.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 17<= o:p>
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> (Inaudible) been doing it for year=
s.
Mr. White: =
The large scale stuff, is yea, (ina=
udible).
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Large, small, I'm asking you in yo=
ur
company, how many wind turbines have you put up?
Mr. White: =
I can't, from the time that I've be=
en
employed with the company we haven't done any.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Can you get us some information on=
how
many wind mills your company has put up?
Mr. White: =
If you give me a couple of minutes =
I'll
go make a phone call.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> We're going on a site walk, we can=
't
just let this slide (inaudible).
Mr. White: =
I've been with the company for 2
years. In that time we did
neurological towers which are much larger than this.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Yea, but that's not spinning a win=
dmill.
Mr. White: =
I personally cannot say what my bos=
s has
done and what they've done before me.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> (inaudible) you're here to represe=
nt
them, that's not good.
Mr. White: =
And like I said he's been doing thi=
s for
a long time so I don't know . . . .
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Well we're going to have to know
that. If this is the first on=
e you're
putting up, we surely don't want to be a guinea pig, we don’t want to=
be
the test run.
Mr. White: =
I'll talk to him and we'll find out=
. Like I said this is a new product.=
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> I'm not too concerned about the pr=
oduct. Like I said there's been windmills=
, I
mean there's a windmill pumping water right now on
Mr. White: =
Okay, I'll get that information for=
you.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 18<= o:p>
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Dave Daddona,
Mr. Daddona: I just want to know how they know
whether this makes noise or not, they've never put one in? One thing I just want to mention, =
liked
Scott Stewart said, I know we're here for a 20 foot variance, but if we let
this windmill be installed, again we are setting a standard that may be
difficult to get out of. I di=
d get
petitions and they have to go to Planning and Zoning and show how many peop=
le
in the neighborhood, 20 signatures, I didn't get to everybody in the
neighborhood who is against having this installed.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Sir, just so you know, our charge =
is to
grant variances or not grant variances, and we're also charged with the hea=
lth
and safety of the public. We'=
ll do
everything in our power that we have to make sure if we approve or disappro=
ve,
that it's done right.
Mr. Daddona: O the 35 foot installation?
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Whatever.
Mr. Roger: =
If it was a 35 foot installation you
would meet it.
Mr. Daddona: But he's saying he would have overs=
een it
to make sure that it's done properly and he said that he never even install=
ed
one, so will these guys just be able to go over there and just install a 35
foot?
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> I don't know.
Mr. Roger:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> Yes, cause they have to follow the=
regulations
of the Building Officials, it's up to the officials to tell them to set it =
up.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Right here, they're un front of us=
right
now and we do our job, and this is what we have to do, we'll do our job.
Mr. Daddona: Just curious, what is the procedure=
, is
it Planning and Zoning I go talk to to see if they can, even if after this,=
if
this is installed, for future installation that they've set new requirements
and making special permits for windmill installations to this (inaudible) w=
ith
other people, maybe they do need larger acreage?
Mr. Rafey:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> (Inaudible) go to the next P & Z
meeting and under Public Participation raise your hand and ask the Chairman=
if
you can speak. Take your neig=
hbors
with you if you want and take your petition.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION #845
- KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 19<= o:p>
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> And that might help us, there you =
go.
Mr. Daddona: We have a very limited (inaudible) =
in
this.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> What is that?
Mr. Rafey: =
Usually even the first (inaudible).=
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> It would be in your best interests,
because all the information, this is what we base our decision on, the more=
information
we met, the better it is.
Mr. Rafey: =
Send a letter out (inaudible).
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Joe Daddona,
Mr. Daddona: My wife has progressive Multiple
Sclerosis and our bedroom is right next to Kurt's house. Now we're saying this is a quiet
structure, if it becomes as noisy structure what happens if my wife is in v=
ery
poor condition, she's disabled, she's 24/7 care, what happens if this keeps=
her
up at night? What do we do
then? Do we go back to Kurt?<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Or we just let my wife suffer?
Mr. Rafey:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> You can contact the health departm=
ent,
they have a (inaudible).
Mr. Daddona: So if it becomes a noisy structure,=
I
have a case?
Mr. Rafey:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> You can complain to the health
department.
Mr. Rafey:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> I don’t want to say that but=
they
will go there and check to see (inaudible).
Mr. Daddona: Well I just want to make sure that =
if
it's a health problem for my wife, I just want to get something clear. There's a lot of things going on h=
ere we
don’t know about.
Mr. Swingle: Do you think it would be preferabl=
e than
(inaudible) or you have no opinion?
Mr. Daddona: My preference is that it doesn't go=
up at
all.
Mr. Swingle: But could you see the advantage of
having it higher than compared to lower?
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 20<= o:p>
Mr. Daddona: I don't this k it should go up at
all. My (inaudible) and nobody
knows about, like you say we're going to be the first to experience it.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Well they're to brand new.
Mr. Daddona: Well I mean there's not one put up =
in
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> If you're that concerned about it,=
I
mean you could check stuff out and bring it to us.
Mr. Daddona: I don't know how (inaudible).
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Where they are located right now, =
there
are windmills up right now in
Mr. Daddona: For this particular one, where do I=
go?
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Well you can base your opinion on a
larger one. If a larger one i=
sn't
making that much noise, maybe his isn't going to make any noise.
Mr. Daddona: I think what I'll do is go by your
recommendation, if there is a health problem I will go to the health
department.
Mr. Mitchell: <=
/b> A 33 foot tower you said, is that t=
o the
top of the prop or is that the pole?
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Kurt Karpavich,
Mr. Karpavich:<=
/b> That is the height of the tower, 33
feet. The turbine is roughly a
foot, then the 6 foot blade, so we're actually measuring from the highest
portion of the 6 foot blade, the tip, and that's 33 feet, plus 6 feet plus =
1,
so we're still going to need a variance.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> You're still going to need a varia=
nce no
matter what; at the beginning you said you wouldn't need a variance.
Mr. Karpavich: =
If I went with a 33 foot.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> That 33 foot pole, that 33 foot tu=
rbine,
at the very top of the blade would be 33 feet.
Mr. Karpavich: =
It would be 33 feet tower plus the
turbine sits on the tower which has blades on it, so 33 plus 6 . . . .
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 21<= o:p>
Mr. Roger:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> It would be 40 feet.
Mr. Rafey: =
You would need a variance.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> You need a variance no matter what=
.
Mr. Karpavich: =
Exactly. If I went with a certified tower, =
as the
manufacturer recommends, you buy A part and B part and you put them tougher=
, if
I went to a smaller tower I would have to make sure it's a certified tower =
to
handle the weight and the lateral load.&nb=
sp;
It's a packaging (inaudible) that's what it is.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> I don't want to mislead the people
here. When you first came her=
e and
my Board members here were saying that you wouldn't need a variance at all =
if
you went with the smaller tower.
Mr. Karpavich: =
That's incorrect.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Okay, so we have to straighten that
out. You need a variance no m=
atter
what. Your tower, but you you=
rself,
we were misled, we were all misled right now.
Mr. Karpavich: =
As it stands there are two towers
available right now to purchase with that turbine. If I wanted to purchase the turbin=
e and
put it on another tower, not manufactured together as an A and B unit, I co=
uld
do that.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> How tall would that be?
Mr. Karpavich: =
I would go to the maximum height of=
35
feet.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> From tip to top of blade?
Mr. Karpavich: =
Yea, top of blade to . . . .
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> It would be 35 feet. It wouldn't be UL approved, is tha=
t what
you're saying?
Mr. Karpavich:<=
/b> There is an anti standard, UL appr=
oved
of this for the electrical generation part.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> So what wouldn't be approved? At that 35 foot height , , , ,
Mr. Karpavich: =
I would get it approved, I would go=
for
extra certification to get it approved.&nb=
sp;
Whatever the Town requires I would do.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Right now we don' t own any
requirements.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 22<= o:p>
Mr. Karpavich: =
Well I'm not standing here and goin=
g to
say I'm going to pay for a $10,000 UL listed rated CE tower, I'd walk
away. I just want to go with =
what
the manufacturer recommends. =
The
manufacturer recommends a 33 foot tower or a 45 foot tower, and there's a 60
foot tower on the drawing board. I just
want to mate the parts together.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> So a 33 foot tower, is actually no=
t 33
feet, it's 40. How tall is a =
33
foot tower?
Mr. Karpavich: =
33 feet.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> 33 feet plus the blades?
Mr. Karpavich: =
The tower is just a pole.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> I understand that. I'm asking you the pole plus the b=
lade
is how tall?
Mr. Karpavich: =
40 feet.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> 40 feet? Okay, so a 45 foot one is how tall=
?
Mr. Karpavich: =
It would be 6 feet plus 1, so it wo=
uld be
52 feet.
Mr. Sarandrea:<= /b> Okay, now I've got the right inform= ation, that's what I'm trying to say. When you first came in here you said you could legally put a tower up tomorrow.<= o:p>
Mr. Karpavich: =
I could (inaudible).
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> And not anywhere near us, you have=
40
and 52.
Mr. Rafey: =
I think (inaudible) he doesn't need=
the
standard one the one that comes in made, he can put his own tower.
Mr. Swingle: He engineered his own tower.
Mr. Disisto: (Inaudible.)
Mr. Rafey:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> No.
The height of this windmill 6 feet, 1 foot is the turbine and
(inaudible).
Many
people talking at once (inaudible).
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> You got to use a smaller pole?
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 23<= o:p>
Mr. Karpavich: =
Exactly.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> That's what I'm asking.
Mr. Karpavich: =
As far as sound generation I have s=
ome .
. . .
Mr. Rafey:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> Then he doesn't need a variance.
Many
people talking at once (inaudible).
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> So we have 2 issues here, we want =
to
find out the sound and . . .
Mr. Karpavich: =
I have the sounds here if you'd lik=
e to
see that. I can submit them n=
ow.
Many
people talking at once (inaudible).
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> This is like
Mr. Karpavich: = It is, we're the first ones, the ow= ner of the company will represent the company side, but the owner couldn't make it tonight, Bob Chew, he's a nationally known figure. He just couldn't make it tonight.<= o:p>
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Well we definitely need that how m=
any
they put in, and where they're located.
Mr. Karpavich: =
And when you come up for a site sur=
vey,
I'll probably have him there to answer questions.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> The more information, the better i=
t is
for us.
Mr. Karpavich: =
Exactly, new waters.
Mr. Rafey:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> Mr. Chairman, do you want to sched=
ule a
site walk?
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Anyone else have anything to say o=
r talk
about?
<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt'>Steven Castle,
Mr. Castle: Kurt mentioned the pole and the
turbine. Now is there a certi=
fied,
does the manufacturer certify the pole and the turbine as one installation,=
are
the drawings stamped, do they explain that there's going to be a structural
base, 4 feet deep approximately with rebar, is that all stamped by a
professional engineer, structural engineer, and does the company certify the
installation of the tower plus the turbine?
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 24<= o:p>
Mr. Karpavich:<=
/b> The manufacturer specified what ty=
pe of
power it should be and it's rated, there's a stamped rating. There is also a (inaudible) instal=
lation
or a matt base installation, which these are engineered drawings, it's not =
something
that I come up with or whomever comes up, these are stamped drawings submit=
ted
to the Building Department for their approval, they will have a stamp on
it. That's why it's important=
to
match the materials together, to have (inaudible) they've been tested to 140
mph, so it's been tested. You=
don't
want to mix and match equipment and tat's why I'm here, I don’t want =
to
mix and match equipment, get what the manufacturer recommends to have this
tower manufactured with the unit and it's an engineered set, it's not somet=
hing
that someone put together in a garage, it's been tested, it's been tested at
the National Federal Laboratories, there is grant research on this, so it's=
not
something that just came out of somebody's back yard or garage. As far as the performance of it, I=
mean
you have the sound levels there and they're very low. It's small wind generation, it's n=
ot
something that you have (inaudible) which is a (inaudible) system which is =
a (inaudible). I've done a lot of research on
this. I have a technical back=
ground
on me also and I'm not going to put something that's going to fall down or =
endanger
anybody that's next door to me.
It's going to hit me first before it hits anybody else. (Tape #1, Side A ended - may have =
missed
some.) But I'm not goin=
g to
be the first one, it's going to happen.&nb=
sp;
Once there is money available for these projects, you guys are going=
to
be inundated. Like they've sa=
id,
Planning and Zoning, and then it's probably going to go to a citing council,
and then nobody is going to have any voice. They'll put a cell tower in
Mr. Castle: The Solar Rights company is going to
install a manufactured, engineered structure. Does the manufacturer come out and
certify the installation once the independent company finishes the
installation?
Mr. White:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> No, they don't to my knowledge.
Mr. Castle: If this is going to be the first
installation and
Mr. Rafey:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> The Building Inspector will go the=
re and
inspect it.
Mr. Castle: Are the manufacturer's stamped draw=
ings
that Kurt mentioned, are they right now on file at the Building Department?=
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> I don't think we're that far, it's=
not
approved yet.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 25<= o:p>
Mr. Rafey: =
They were told, #1, they went to
Torrington Area Health District to get an approval for this location to make
sure that this doesn't have any impact on their septic system. Robert Smith from the Torrington A=
rea
Health District already approved that location. #2 they came to the Planning and Z=
oning
Office to get a zoning permit, and there was a height restriction so I coul=
dn't
give him a permit so I sent him here to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a
variance. If this Board grant=
s him
a variance, then he has to come back to the Planning and Zoning Office for a
zoning permit. After that he =
has to
go to the Building Department for a building permit.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> He has to pull permits, he has to =
submit
engineered drawings, get reviews, they'll probably call him in for a review,
and then . . . .
Mr. Castle: Who does the review of those drawin=
gs?
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Probably the Town Engineer and the
Building Inspector.
Mr. Rafey: =
The Building Inspector.
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> If they need him.
Mr. Rafey: =
They can send it to (inaudible).
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Whatever, I mean they do this thin=
g,
it's not going to be like it's just rubber stamped. (Inaudible) engineered drawings.
Mr. Castle: As of right now the only thing on f=
ile is
the site plan, both Kurt's property and where he's locating the actual prop=
osed
tower.
Mr. Rafey:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-weight:bo=
ld'> No, the technical details are in t=
he
office, you're welcome to come to the Planning and Zoning Office to look at
them, they are public information, anybody from the neighborhood can come a=
nd
look at them, even if you want to make a copy of the information, just pay =
$.50
a page (inaudible).
Mr. Mitchell: Suppose (inaudible) basically like=
they
had at the supermarkets then to hold the lights?
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Anyone else? When do you want to go to the site=
walk?
Mr. Rafey: =
Before the next meeting. Just for everyone's information, t=
here
will be a site walk on April 25, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. Just keep in mind, that is a public
meeting, anyone can attend, but we're not able to discuss any issues on the
site walk. The Chairman and B=
oard
Members want to see the location and the topography of the land, and see if=
there
is a better location.
PUBLIC H=
EARING
APPLICAT=
ION
#845 - KURT KARPAVICH
MARCH 28=
, 2007
Page 26<= o:p>
Mr. Sarandrea:<=
/b> Flag the area.
Many
people talking at once (inaudible).
MOTION: &=
nbsp; (Mr.
Roger, sec. Mr. Mitchell) to Recess and Schedule a Site Walk for Application
#845 of Kurt Karpavich for 20 feet height variance to permit the installati=
on
of a 55 feet high wind turbine on a residential property at
&=
nbsp; Discussion: None
&=
nbsp; MOTION
PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
Public
Hearing Recessed at 8:45 p.m.
Mr.
Sarandrea, Chairman, called a 15 minute Recess at 8:45 p.m.
Respect=
fully
submitted,
Enrico
Sarandrea, Chairman
Zoning =
Board
of Appeals
&nbs=
p; _________________=
_________________
&nbs=
p; Lynn
M. LaForme, Minutes Secretary