WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 17, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Officials in the Town of Georgia recently determined that two properties in their town have lost value because of their proximity to a utility-scale wind project.
Scott and Melodie McLane recently grieved the appraisal of their property, and in September the Board of Civil Authority (BCA) agreed to drop the property-assessed value by 12%. Another homeowner who grieved their assessment in the same area also had their values dropped by 8%. The stated reason was “the noise level” from the nearby four turbine wind project on Georgia Mountain.
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They join officials in the Town of Barton, who last year reduced values by 10% for properties with a view of the Sheffield wind project.
“We had BCA members out to the house a number of times so they could experience the noise for themselves. The noise from the turbines is not constant, but it is frequent. When they are noisy, it is extremely disruptive and draining,” Melodie McLane said. “It’s nice to have an official recognition of what was clear to us – the noise from the wind project has taken something away from us.”
Meanwhile, last year in Barton, the Town followed the advice of their reappraisal consultant who suggested that homes with “substantial wind tower views” should have their values reduced by 10%. The Barton properties are impacted by the Sheffield wind project.
The recognition by local officials that turbines negatively affect property values refutes studies that have been commissioned by the wind industry. It matches conclusions of independent researchers who have found that turbines have a clear, negative impact on property values.
“This is just the beginning of what we expect to see in the areas where wind turbines have been installed,” said Annette Smith, VCE’s Executive Director. “As the normal municipal cycle of reappraisals and grievances takes place, we expect to see official recognition of declining property values in Lowell, Albany, Georgia, Milton, Sheffield, Sutton, and other towns around the near operating wind projects.”
“Vermont communities are run by common sense, caring people. They talk to their neighbors, look and listen, and consider what is happening in the real world. In the real world, people’s lives and investments are being damaged. People don’t want to live with the noise pollution, and they don’t find it attractive to live near an industrial plant placed in the middle of a quiet rural setting. Property values are falling, and people are suffering,” she concluded.
