Glen and Jill Feldpaush sent this letter to the Clinton County Planning Commission, the Essex Township Board, and the Bengal Township Board:
October 10, 2012
Clinton County Planning Commission
Chairperson: Shannon Schlegel, Vice-Chair: Mark Simon, Secretary: Kelly Chadwick
Members: Earl Barks, Robert Kudwa, Adam Stacey (B.O.C. Representative), Patti Jandernoa
100 East State Street, Suite 1300
St. Johns, MI 48879
Dear Chairperson Schlegel and Chairmen of the Board,
We are writing to you to voice our concerns regarding the application for special land use and site plan approval submitted by Forest Hill Energy/Fowler Farms, LLC to construct wind turbines in Dallas, Essex and Bengal Township.
Clinton County is the number one dairy county in the State of Michigan. Agriculture, in particular, dairy farming is one of the largest (if not, the largest) industry in Clinton County. We are 3rd generation dairy farmers here in Clinton County, with our son joining us as a partner to make the 4th generation. We have 2 dairy locations, one in Bengal and one in Essex Township.
We fear the reproductive health and well being of our dairy cattle. The long-term health of our cattle could be affected by the placing of wind turbines on the land near them. There has not been any long-term studies done to say that this will NOT affect the ability for the cows to continue to produce milk at the high level in which we strive for.
We employ 60 full-time employees and 20 part-time employees. Most of these men and women are home owners here in the region. They are contributing members to our county as well. We also fear that the value of their homes and the homes of all our neighbors in the community will be greatly diminished, if not completely unsellable if the wind turbines come into our area. As property values decrease, the county will receive less income from property taxes.
Our own family members will be discouraged from buying a home and settling in our community. Why would anyone want to move into our area if they had to look at, hear, and feel a wind turbine from a neighboring piece of property. Once the land use permit is approved there is nothing to stop them from adding phase 2 and phase 3. No one's property will be immune to the chance of a wind turbine going up across the road from their home or in the field behind their house.
Ladies and gentlemen of the board, we urge you to consider denying this permit altogether. The placement of wind turbines in our county will only benefit the land owners on which they sit and a small amount of taxes promised over 20 years. This does not justify the health risks and other negative economic impacts it will have on our property and potentially our farm animals.
Thank you for considering our concerns.
Sincerely,
Glen and Jill Feldpausch
Rich-Ro Dairy, LLC
3565 North Forest Hill Road
St. Johns, MI 48879
