Cape Vincent - October 23, During the course of a meeting Between BP and the Town and Planning Boards of Cape Vincent and Lyme , BP Representative Richard Chandler stated numerous times that the community supports BP’s Cape Vincent Wind project.
To promote this idea, BP's wind facilitator Marion Trieste and Project Developer Richard Chandler will both be using the results of the ZOGBY poll as proof that the majority of the community supports BP's project.
They will do this by focusing on the numbers from the ZOGBY Poll e.g. 47% support wind versus 41% opposed to wind. This data is all they have to support their claim that this project is wanted by the community at large.
The updated Comprehensive plan examines the ZOGBY Poll and details how the figures at face value can be misleading. Additionally, the polling questions were formulated under the watchful eye of two conflicted board members. The question of conflicts of interest was not addressed in this survey, nor were respondents asked if they or any of their relatives have wind leases.
From the Updated Comprehensive plan
The ZOGBY Community Vision Poll, 2011.
This phone poll was conducted by the Zogby Group at the request of the Town Board. It was a sample of 300 seasonal and year-round residents. The object of the poll was to gain an insight into community support for two wind projects that were proposed for Cape Vincent.
The results showed that:
a. 82% had a favorable opinion toward Cape Vincent (Q:3
b. 79% were positive about the quality of life, but 66% were negative about the economy (Q:4-5).
c. 59% said the biggest issue facing the Town was industrial wind (Q:6).
d.47% supported industrial wind projects and 41% were opposed (Q: 7).
e. For those supportive of wind, the biggest collective reason for their support was economic - 40% listed money and economy as a reason (Q: 8).
f. The biggest reason for opposition was view, scenic and natural beauty (20%, Q: 8).
g. Although 47% of respondents supported industrial wind, they qualified their support:
i. 47% said wind turbines would decrease tourism (Q: 10) and 89% said tourism was very important in Cape Vincent(Q:14-16
ii.Only6% thought wind turbines would increase tourism (Q: 10)
iii.57% believed wind turbines would decrease land values and 7%said land values would increase (Q: 11).
Summary of the Wind Issue: The ZOGBY poll in 2011 clearly showed that industrial wind was the biggest issue and challenge that faced Cape Vincent and its municipal leadership; that view remains unchanged today. In 2007 the survey done by the Cape Vincent LDC showed 60% support for industrial wind projects, but in 2011 ZOGBY reported that support declined to 47%, compared to 41% who were opposed. It could be argued that from 2007 to 2011 Cape residents became better educated about potential wind impacts and part of that education process included installation and operation of the Wolfe Island Wind Project directly across the St. Lawrence River from the Village of Cape Vincent. Moreover, if both surveys are studied carefully then support for wind is seen as qualified; not unequivocal support.
ZOGBY showed the principal reason for supporting industrial wind was because people believed it would help the local economy, and a majority of respondents (66%) believed the local economy needed help. But, most respondents also believed tourism, recreation and land values are important too, and that industrial wind development would, at the same time, have a detrimental impact on these factors.
Although the Cape Vincent Local Development Corporation(CVLDC reported a majority of support for industrial wind projects, they also reported industrial wind would negatively affect Cape Vincent’s character (51%negative versus 22% positive), quality of life (45% negative versus 29% positive), and natural beauty (57% negative versus 13% positive). Similar qualifiers existed in Zogby’s data as well – 47% said tourism would decrease (6% increase) and 57% believed land values would diminish (7% increase).
These other surveys of community attitudes collectively help us understand the apparent contradiction in attitudes toward industrial wind. The potential benefit of industrial wind is purely economic for some Cape Vincent residents. But, the economic potential provided by industrial wind would not come without some economic loss and damage to our community. The listing of strategies in the 1992 and 2007 surveys showed very strong support for using Cape Vincent’s historic and cultural resources and making the best use of our unique natural resource gifts - the lake and river. Furthermore, in both these surveys strategies that focused on industrial development were low on the Cape’s list of development alternatives.
The best way to sum community attitude toward industrial wind in 2012 is to go back to1992 in a concluding statement in “Shaping the Future,“They (Cape Vincent residents) would like to see improved job opportunities and services, but not at the expense or sacrifice of the very qualities that make Cape Vincent so appealing – its beauty, history and small town atmosphere.”
The results of the Cape Vincent ZOGBY poll clearly indicated that three out of five surveyed want the Cape Vincent Town Board to impose a moratorium on wind turbines. In addition, (59%) said that they wanted the wind moratorium to allow time to amend the zoning law to address industrial and individual wind turbines. In accordance to the wishes of the community as indicated by the ZOGBY, poll.
Comprehensive plan link
No comments:
Post a Comment