Comments for Aquinnah/Gay Head Community Association

Comment on Island Tribe, Cape Wind Resist Plan to Relocate Turbines to Tuckernuck by RON BEATY

RON BEATY — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:13:09 +0000

As a colonial-rooted Cape Cod native who firmly believes in the sanctity of our maritime heritage, I am writing to ardently express my steadfast support for the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound. Based upon sensible logic, data and reasoning, I am also conversely opposed to the controversial Cape Wind Project which seeks to despoil and rob us of the pristine nautical legacy bestowed by our forefathers. As a result of the likely profound damaging regional financial, ecological and public safety consequences Cape Wind would wrought upon us all, it should not be allowed to proceed forward to fruition.

The project poses a cogent danger to essential air and sea navigation. Siting the project in Nantucket Sound is a breach of the public trust. Contrary to their sham claims, the cost of the electricity which the project will produce would not be cheap or competitive. It would be an
unbearable fiscal burden hoisted upon us without our sanction or consent. Furthermore, it will represent a deleterious local economic blow by it’s absconding of undeserved taxpayer-funded subsidies, forced real estate devaluations, and lost revenues from commercial and tourism activities. The proposed one hundred thirty wind turbines will perpetually cause unsightly visual contamination and distressing noise pollution. Finally, Cape Wind will unnecessarily endanger a critical marine and wildlife habitat.

Off-shore deep water wind has surfaced as a cost-effective and technologically feasible option in lieu of the Nantucket Sound situated Cape Wind Project. Cape Wind has chosen a location which possesses countless expenses as well as hazards to public safety, the marine environment, and the local economy. Deeper-water sites offer more powerful winds and the advantages of clean renewable energy without surrendering the irreplaceable natural beauty of Nantucket Sound.

More distantly sited off-shore locations guarantee the advantages of clean wind power without many of the harmful effects of close-shore siting. Furthermore, there would be little harmful impact upon air and marine navigational safety and local tourist-based economies.

In 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) estimated a total off-shore wind energy resource of over 1000 GW. The potential for deep water locations greater than 30 m (or 100 feet) is enormous. Approximately ninety percent of the off-shore wind potential in the United States resides in deep water.

With the aforesaid thoughtful rationales in mind, along with the inherently unfair and inequitable nature of the proposed Cape Wind Project itself, it must not become a reality which will forever doom our children and grandchildren to a ghastly socially inhumane legacy.

Ron Beaty
West Barnstable, MA

Comment on DAS or towers – West Tisbury mixes signals over wireless plans by paulaje

paulaje — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:17:06 +0000

I hope the town officials will get their act together finally and get this thing done. It's just a shame it's taken this long to bring the up-island towns into the 21st century.

Comment on Gosnold Embraces Wind Farm Plan by paul mendelson

paul mendelson — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:39:48 +0000

Well conceived and constructed letter with many very important ideas with which I agree. Local input and approval are vital.

Comment on Editorial: On balance, the forthright answer is, not here by Concerned in Aquinnah

Concerned in Aquinnah — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:28 +0000

Bravo! Sometimes, NIMBY isn’t a dirty acronym. Sometimes, our “insular cost-benefit analysis” serves the greater good, not just our own.

Comment on DAS Should Be Built: Letters to the Editor by Scott

Scott — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:41:29 +0000

I am not from the area, but I am always interested in these types of conversations. Both of the previous comments are very logical… Unless the proposed project (any project not necessarily only this one) causes major harm to community, it should be as it always was… Meaning if a company wants to build a company, business, or portion of their business, then they should be permitted to. If the business and thus, income, are not successful, then they will fail and the phrase “only the strong survive” will continue. Let the forces of capitalism determine what is needed and not…

Comment on Visual Feast by Summer Person

Summer Person — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:09:47 +0000

These are professional-quality. Just beautiful. Thank you.

Comment on Letters re: Aquinnah Circle Concert Venue Proposal by Jerome Gross, M.D.

Jerome Gross, M.D. — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:18:23 +0000

As a longtime landowner and regular summer resident in Aquinnah, since 1965, living just beyond the town cemetary and not far from the Cliffs, I wish to state my vigorous opposition and that of my familiy to the concept and proposal to establish a concert center at the cliffs. All the members of my family , children, grandchildren and some relations are musical, some professionally. They and we uniformally oppose this proposition. During the summers we are not infrequently subject to the noise/music of house parties between the cliffs and our home which force us to interfere. Significantly increasing the traffic and commercial use of the Cliff area could make our life here intolerable. Your proposed action would be a serious interference with our lives here in Aquinnah in all the ways so well expressed by the above letters to the Aquinnah selectmen.

Comment on Divided Board Kills Plan to Build Performance Stage at the Cliffs by Summer Person

Summer Person — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:34:48 +0000

What were they thinking? I hope the selectpeople don’t cave in to pressure.

Comment on Concert at the Cliffs Plan Riles Aquinnah Residents by Paula Eisenberg

Paula Eisenberg — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:52:45 +0000

I’m a resident off Moshup Trail, and I echo Mr. Cardona’s comment.

I love music as much as the next person (maybe more than some), but I don’t need to disrupt the natural quiet and beauty of Aquinnah in order to enjoy a concert.

Comment on Concert at the Cliffs Plan Riles Aquinnah Residents by Rodolfo Cardona

Rodolfo Cardona — Sat, 09 May 2009 21:01:49 +0000

As a taxpayer and a resident off Lighthouse Road within earshot of the proposed concert venue, I am willing to take all available measures at my disposal to prevent such a plan from being enacted, even going to the Congress in Washington.
To even consider the possibility seems to me insane given the problems that such a plan would create for the Town and the damage that the influx of traffic would inflict on this natural spot.
I and my neighbors are hoping that the selectmen will continue to reject this plan. Such a plan would damage the quality of life of this area so much that property values will be affected by it, something that we are prepared to avoid at all costs. We would demand a new assessment of the value of our properties which would end costing the Town tax dollars.

Comment on Divided Board Kills Plan to Build Performance Stage at the Cliffs by Aquinnah resident

Aquinnah resident — Sat, 09 May 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Thanks to all who wrote and called and showed up at the hearing to stop this awful idea in its tracks. The special place that is Aquinnah must be protected from further unnecessary development. If Mr. Glavin and Mr. Cammann want to bring another music festival to the Circle this summer as a one-time event, fine. There was no huge outcry about that last summer, but a concert venue of the scale and longevity they proposed is just not in keeping with the fragile beauty of our end of the island.

Comment on Letters re: Aquinnah Circle Concert Venue Proposal by gloria levitas

gloria levitas — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:31:26 +0000

I am happy to see that the proposal for a concert venue at the cliffs has been rejected. The idea is preposterous….not only does it offend the historical significance of the cliffs for the Wampanoag, it offends even in
the transparent greed of the promoters. They want to give the town $1 for every customer …take no responsibility for maintenance and upkeep, force the taxpayers to pay more for policing….while they would reap the benefits.
And this discounts the effects on the peace and quiet of the community .
The idea was outrageous to begin with……