Supervisors send turbine proposal
By Kay Stephens, kstephens@altoonamirror.comA proposal to build the area's tallest wind turbines, visible from downtown Altoona to the Buckhorn, has been forwarded to the Logan Township Planning Commission for comment.
Supervisors, who asked Thursday night if the taller-than-typical height would affect noise and visibility from the Horseshoe Curve, agreed that they want the planning commission to look at the latest proposal.
Gamesa Energy USA representatives asked the township to change its ordinance to permit construction of turbines with a 335-foot tower on the Chestnut Flats area. Under the current ordinance, a tower is allowed to be 270 feet.
Solicitor Larry Clapper said if supervisors want to change the ordinance, they will first need to hold a public hearing and get planning commission comments. Rather than going through that process, which involves some expense, Clapper recommended getting planning commission comments first.
The commission has a June 2 meeting scheduled at Juniata Gap Elementary School to hear concerns about a zoning change near Penn State Altoona, which would permit additional construction of student housing. Another meeting to consider the taller wind turbines will need to be designated, said township Director of Development Cassandra Schmick.
Gamesa representative Jon Baker told supervisors that his company proposed taller turbines as way to keep the proposed wind development inside the wind zone. The latest version shows construction of 18 wind turbines with 335 foot towers and one turbine with a 270-foot tower.
Supervisor Jim Patterson asked if taller turbines generate more noise.
"The net effect on the sound is negligible," Baker said.
Supervisor Joe Metzgar asked about the visibility, especially from the Horseshoe Curve National Historic Site.
Baker said the positions aren't changing so they won't be visible from the Curve. They will be visible from downtown Altoona, Mill Run Road, Old Mill Run Road and along Route 36.
Patterson and Metzgar also asked Baker why the wind farm plans keep changing.
"We're not trying to keep changing our minds," Baker said. "We're trying to change based on what you guys want."
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brutis
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05-18-09 9:26 PM
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Who will ultimately benefit from these giant blades, that will forever change our landscape? Who? I know the turbine company's will surely benefit. Is this akin to the rehab centers in town? The city gets the tax, State and Federal subsidies, and the people get there homes and cars broken into. People before these are allowed, I would do some very in depth investigating. But then, are the commoners going to have a say in this? Did they have a say in the Rehab centers? If not, then perhaps someone can start a petition to remove the rehab centers and the turbines. Food for thought.
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sickntired
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05-15-09 10:29 PM
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You are kidding right? The US has always been completely independent regarding electricity generation. Less than 3% of our electricity uses oil as a fuel source. We export more oil than that.
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homegrownaltoid
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05-15-09 9:26 PM
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i'm from altoona, born & raised, and i hope to see the entire city surrounded by these things if it'll mean less reliance on foreign oil. i do not understand the resistance towards the turbines, heck, maybe during "earth day" we can have the blades lowered for our school children to paint pretty flowers & such on them...with biodegradable water based finger paint of course.
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sickntired
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05-15-09 8:10 PM
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Hey, notyouraverageJoe...Are you from Altoona? I hope not. We don't need people with your attitude and intellect. There are wonderful people here who appreciate this city and are working to improve its problems and preserve its assets. There is something to be afraid of here and that is the loss of our greatest aesthetic asset...the mountains and also our pride when we become one of the many towns along the allegheny front with the giant symbols of greed, ignorance, and deception towering over us. This is not progress and no decent jobs will come out of this. The article failed to disclose the true height of these worthless pieces of junk...over 460 feet tall to the tip of the blades. Insane. The governor will have quite a legacy. I think he needs to go back and repeat basic high school science before he promotes any more giant machines that don't work at taxpayer expense.
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notyouraverageJoe
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05-15-09 6:14 PM
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Its pretty funny that a craphole town like Altoona would be worried about what a modern, high-tech windmill looks like. What are theyt afraid of, that some progress might come to this backwater? That someone might move in and offer some halfway decent jobs that might pay decent money?
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glenncz
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05-15-09 5:31 PM
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Your electricity costs will increase: US pays 10.4 cents per kilowatt Germany pays 22.2 cents Holland 26 cents Denmark, the king of windmills. 32 cents according to Energy Information ADministration
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DavidR
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05-15-09 4:08 PM
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If Big Murph gets a windmill will Litle Murph be jealous?
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RidgeRunner
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05-15-09 3:53 PM
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I say paint them all to look like giant Texas Hot Dogs so we can remember the big weiners that voted to put them up.
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DavidR
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05-15-09 3:53 PM
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Each of the turbines will be afixed with aircraft warning lights. The turbines will be positioned in such at way that when viewed from Altoona at night the lights working together will project the image of Obama. This is work much in the same way in which years ago one could see Altoona spelled out by the city's street lights when viewed from ****y Lookout.
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mocus1
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05-15-09 3:45 PM
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Why not just put a nuclear reactor on Gospel Hill right next to the Cathedral? It'll provide, quiet clean energy to run all the chicken wing fryers at Hooters ! Don't worry about radiation. It's not that harmful.
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mocus1
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05-15-09 3:42 PM
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I'll bet Bush is behind this. He's probably funneling money to the heartless cruel windmill lobby through Halliburton and Blackwater. Man is that Bush diabolical. He's out of office, and still profiting from destroying the environment! Well at least Obama will fix it, just give him some more time.
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97neon
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05-15-09 3:23 PM
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Ridge Runner said it all: "Ironically the Water Authority's head honcho is one of the people most responsible for degrading the water quality of Logan Valley, by paving much of it over with concrete."
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mocus1
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05-15-09 2:58 PM
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Will they put a windmill on Big Murph, the strip mine motorcycle jump off Rt 36?
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mocus1
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05-15-09 2:56 PM
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going green means you're being taken over by Reds.....the good thing is that all the hot air produced over in John Murtha's district will cause a pressure gradient, which will blow over the Buckhorn, supplying tons of cheap, clean energy to the fine citizens of Altoona ! So you'll have unsightly windmills stuck on your beautiful green hills. That's a small price to pay for progress. Keep tilting at windmills like Don Quixote. He was as unbalanced as these planners are.
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RidgeRunner
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05-15-09 1:47 PM
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Ironically the Water Authority's head honcho is one of the people most responsible for denigrating the water quality of Logan Valley, by paving much of it over with concrete.
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DavidR
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05-15-09 1:32 PM
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Going green is in vogue. Going for green is a time honored tradition. For many non participants the color may actually turn out to be red.
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97neon
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05-15-09 12:27 PM
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The Altoona Water Authority is a disgrace. Remember last summer when they wanted to lease their watershed lands for gas wells? All that the Altoona Water Authority (and especially its head honcho Maurice Lawruk) cares about is $$$$$$$.
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RidgeRunner
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05-15-09 11:56 AM
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Unfortunately the Altoona Water Authority would sell their grandchildren's access to clean water for a quick buck. Oh wait, maybe they just did.
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DavidR
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05-15-09 11:42 AM
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Those that will benfit from this proposed wind farm are: the farm developer and machinery manufacturer (Gamesa),the farm operator (Gamesa and whomever they would sell), the property owners (Altoona Water Authority, Cooney Bros, Coal Co., and a few individuals), and to a much smaller degree the municipality (Logan Twp.)and the contractors employed to provide civil site preparation. There would be neglible benefit to the community at large. If you believe that this would result in the reduction of your residential electric bill, I have some oceanfront property in Blair County to sell to you.
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DavidR
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05-15-09 11:21 AM
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Chesnut Flats is a wooded and active strip mining area generally located North of the Horseshoe Curve and south of SR36. The area is the ridge top of the geological area known as the Allegheny Front. In laymens terms the area is the east edge of the Allegheny Mountains. East of this area is the ridge and valley portion of the state. Altoona is east in the adjacent valley commonly known by several names such as Pleasant or Logan's however I believe the correct name is the indian word Tuckahoe. The ridges have steep slopes and end in finger like projections with flat tops. The wooded area was once home to many Chesnut hardwood trees most of which are no more due to disease. The location of the planned turbines is due east of both active and completed coal strip mining activities.
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RidgeRunner
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05-15-09 11:10 AM
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Chestnut Flats is the portion of the Allegheny Front between Kittaning Run (along the Horseshoe Curve) and Mill Run (along the Buckhorn). Access is via strip mine roads across Rt. 36 from the Buckhorn Inn.
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glenncz
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05-15-09 10:38 AM
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Hardly anyone evens knows this in Pennsylvania, but we mandated almost 5,000 of these wind turbines to be installed under the Pa. Alternative Energy Portfolio. We will pay at least double for wind electricity and still it won't satisfy our needs, because the wind blows when it wants to. We are going to destroy the beautiful heritage of our natural landscape. We need to educate ourselves and revolt. ****nofreewind****
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cowher12
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05-15-09 10:21 AM
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No you wont see a decrease in your electricity costs because they will make the energy in your back yard and make you suffer from the awful sight of these things and then send it all to big the cities so they can use the electricity. My opinion on this whole thing is that communities in western pennsylvania should create their own co-ops put windmills in and then they can benefit from their unsightly looks. I dont think they are even profitable enough to do that. By the way I am from Altoona but where in the H*ll are the Chestnut Flats. Is it between Rt 36 and Juniata Gap? A quick explanation would help. THe mirror writes these articles like everyone knows the names of these places instead they should give landmarks.
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Anthony
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05-15-09 9:25 AM
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Why are people so selfish? When will it benefit ME? How do you have no concern environmentally, and yes, I know I am posting this on a forum in the most radically conservative areas of the country.
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97neon
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05-15-09 8:52 AM
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Debboe; No decreased electricity costs are expected. In fact, industrial windplant INCREASE the cost of electricity, because, although the wind is free, the cost of harnessing it is extraordnarily hight. EACH industrial-scale wind turbine costs ~$4,000,000!! In Denmark, where industrial windplants are common, the cost of electricity has skyrocketed, and, amaziningly, the use of coal has not decreased. Why? Because the wind is intermittent and unpredicable, so coal plants always have to be producing backup electricity!
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