Freedom (Maine) voters again support wind power

[jpak]

http://waldo.villagesoup.com/government/story.cfm?storyID=77854

FREEDOM (Sep 1): Freedom voters once again supported the construction of wind turbines on Beaver Ridge. In a 79-44 vote Thursday, residents turned down a moratorium that would have prevented town officials from approving the project.

The developer of the wind farm said the company will present an application to the Planning Board in the near future. He described the commercial review ordinance that was approved three weeks ago as “tough but fair.”

“We don’t see anything that would preclude us from submitting an application,” said Richard Silkman, managing partner of Competitive Energy Services. “We think we can meet all of the requirements.”

The second-floor meeting room at the Dirigo Grange Hall was packed for the special town meeting, and voters spilled out into the foyer. There was sharp disagreement about the most basic facts — whether the Planning Board had banned Selectman Steve Bennett from speaking at one of its meetings, for example, or whether selectmen failed to bring forward a timely proposal for a special tax district involving the windmills.

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