The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday by the law firm Westfall Law PLLC, lists over a hundred individuals from 65 different residences in the Fredonia, Cassadaga and Forestville areas who are suing the developers of the Arkwright Summit Wind Farm. The project is located in the areas of Arkwright and Pomfret, and includes approximately 47 turbines that stand some 420 feet tall and were erected in 2018.

• READ THE FULL CIVIL COMPLAINT

The plaintiffs claim that developers built the project too close to their homes and as a result, have created a number of hazards and adverse health effects, including include sleep disturbance, annoyance, headaches, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, motion sickness, bodily sensations, fatigue, stress, depression, memory deficits, inability to concentrate, anxiety and an overall reduced quality of life. The complaint says that these effects are largely due to the shadow flicker and loud noise that comes from the turbines when they are in motion.

The complaint also says that those who’ve attempted to sell their homes and move away from the Arkwright wind farm are often unable to do so because the value of land near turbines plummets.

The group is suing the various parties involved with the development and construction of the project on nine causes of action that include negligence, creating a private nuisance and trespass of real property. They are demanding judgment against the Defendants on each of
the causes of action in an amount to be determined by this Court.

The Jamestown Post-Journal reports the resolution involving a lease with BNSF Logistics for vacant county space on South Roberts Road in Dunkirk was approved 15-4 during Wednesday’s County Legislature meeting.  The lease would cover a four-month period and would result in the county receiving a total of $60,000, and would only go into effect if BNSF Logistics is granted a contract award for the Arkwright Summit Wind Farm project.

Legislators voting against the resolution were George Borrello, Ron Lemon, Charles Nazzaro, and Bob Scudder.

The $156 million wind farm project will involve 36 wind turbines being built with a maximum generating capacity of 78.4 megawatts- which is enough electricity to power approximately 31,500 households. The wind farm will span approximately 6500 acres of leased private land in the Towns of Arkwright and Pomfret.

Also Wednesday night, the legislature approved a local law to authorize an assistance program for municipalities that successfully dissolve or merge.

• READ THE MEETING AGENDA

Among the items on the agenda is a resolution allowing for an agreement that would allow a wind farm equipment provider to lease space on a vacant property on Roberts Rd., in order to store materials related to the Arkwright Wind project.

Last week the county legislature’s public facilities committee and Audit and Control Committee both debated the resolution, with some members voicing concern about the wind project, which has garnered opposition from residents in the immediate area where the large scale windmills would be built.

The $156 million wind farm project will involve 36 wind turbines being built with a maximum generating capacity of 78.4 megawatts- which is enough electricity to power approximately 31,500 households. The wind farm will span approximately 6500 acres of leased private land in the Towns of Arkwright and Pomfret.

Also tonight, the legislature will have a public hearing on the expansion plan for Castelli America, a cheese manufacturing company that opened last year and operates in the town of Harmony near Blockville.

Wednesday’s legislature meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the legislature chambers. It is open to the public and will also be streamed live on the county’s Facebook page.

According to the Post-Journal, the county legislature’s public facilities committee met on Tuesday and considered a resolution authorizing the lease of vacant space to a logistics company – which is looking to receive a contract award to store wind turbine materials as part of the Arkwright Summit Wind Farm project.

The resolution eventually passed in committee by a vote of a 3-2, with Fredonia Republican Bob Scudder reportedly saying he is against any windmills going up in Chautauqua County. Jamestown Democrat Chuck Nazzaro also voted against the measure, due to the amount of concern the specific project has raised from residents living in the area.

The $156 million wind farm project will involve 36 wind turbines being built with a maximum generating capacity of 78.4 megawatts- which is enough electricity to power approximately 31,500 households. The wind farm will span approximately 6500 acres of leased private land in the Towns of Arkwright and Pomfret.

A wind farm in Wyoming County, NY gives an idea of the size and scope of the turbines that may soon be put in place in Villenova and Hanover. (Photo from the Buffalo News)

ARKWRIGHT – A $156 Million wind farm in northern Chautauqua County is making progress and will commence with construction next year.

That’s according to officials with the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, who participated in the announcement on Wednesday in the Arkwright Town Hall.

IDA officials say that Arkwright Summit Wind Farm LLC – a company owned by EDP Renewables North America LLC (EDPR) – will build 36 wind turbines with a maximum generating capacity of 78.4 megawatts- which is enough electricity to power approximately 31,500 households. The wind farm will span approximately 6500 acres of leased private land in the Towns of Arkwright and Pomfret.

In addition to the turbines, the wind farm will include one permanent meteorological tower, an operation and maintenance building, underground electrical lines and communication cables, an overhead generator lead line, and a system of gravel access roads, parking, landscaping and related improvements.

The large scale wind project – which has been in the works for over ten years – has received local municipal approval, and the IDA approved financial assistance for the project in October 2015.

According to EDPR officials, the Wind Farm will pay a total of $313,600 each year for 30 years to be split among Chautauqua County, the towns of Pomfret and Arkwright, and the Pine Valley, Forestville, and Fredonia school districts.

In addition, more than $500,000 will be paid in annual lease payments to participating land owners.

The company anticipates the creation of six permanent jobs in addition to 250 part time positions during the wind farm’s construction.

The Chautauqua County IDA Board of Directors during its October 2015 meeting.

JAMESTOWN – The effort to develop the largest wind farm in Chautauqua County is one step closer to becoming a reality.

On Wednesday the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency approved a $316,800 Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement for EDP Renewables North America to build a $150 million wind farm in Arkwright consisting of 36 Wind Turbines.

The turbines will be located primarily on private property, and the property owners will continue to pay full value tax payments. The PILOT only covers the taxes for the new turbines and would be paid each year for 30 years, split between the county, township and three school districts. IDA executive director Kevin Sandvidge says, however, that a tax abatement will be gradually phased out with the EDP Renewables eventually paying taxes on the turbines.

“The PILOT will go to the five jurisdictions,” Sanvidge said. “An annual payment of $81,000 will go to the county and a payment of $57,000 will go to the town. The remaining money will be split between the three school districts of Forestville, Pine Valley and Fredonia.”

EDP Renewables project manager Jeffrey Nemeth said in addition to the PILOT, the company will also make an annual land use payment of $500,000 to the various property owners who are involved. And the company is also investing in upgrading several roads in the town, so that workers can have better access to the locations where the turbines will be put up.

A wind farm in Wyoming County, NY gives an idea of the size and scope of the turbines that may soon be put in place in the Town of Arkwright by EDP Renewables North America. (Photo from the Buffalo News)

Each turbine will stand approx. 492 ft. high from the ground to the tip of the blade. Each turbine will have three blades and will generate, on average, about 2.2 MW of energy. An underground utility line will also be installed, connecting the turbines to the NRG power line in the town of Pomfret.

Nemeth said the turbines will be located south of Route 83 and go as far north as Straight Road. Center Road will split the project in half with turbines on the east and west side of the road.

The project will create 200-250 short-term construction jobs. A bidding process will take place to determine who the contractor will be for the project. Once the turbines are up and running, Nemeth said there would be 6 to 8 permanent full time jobs that pay between $40,000 and $80,000 per year.

The project still needs to go through the state SEQR process and a public hearing before moving forward. If all goes according to schedule, the turbines will go up in mid 2017 and are expected to start generating power by late 2017.

NEW BUSINESS COMING INTO FORMER NOWINSKI PIEROGI LOCATION

Meanwhile, the IDA also took action that could lead to a new business operating out of a recently closed down Nowinski Pierogi factory in Westfield.

The IDA approved a resolution to lease equipment in the 15,000-square-foot facility at Bourne St., which was previously occupied by Rae Foods, Inc. – which owned and operated the Nowkinski operation.

Sanvidge said a yet-to-be-named investor is interested in leasing the equipment, which the IDA took ownership of after Rae Foods went into bankruptcy and was unable to pay back its debt on a $640,000 Al Tech loan.

He said the prospective business must first purchase the foreclosed property from the bank before it can move in. Once the purchase is made, more details about the business will be announced.

Rae Foods Inc. closed down at the start of this year – about a year after it began operation.