April 25, 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

I had not heard about the windmill project in Fort Kent until just this week. A flyer was placed in my mailbox at work and I received an email from a friend concerning the proposal.

I am familiar with the windmills in Mars Hill. Laughably, when I first saw the large structures they reminded me of alien-like beings from science fiction movies. On a serious note though, these eye sores will not only take away from the natural beauty of our town, but will also have several other serious ramifications.

Let me say that I am not opposed to alternative sources of energy.

I do question whether the people of Fort Kent will benefit from the windmills in terms of cost savings or will any monies generated from the project be channeled into other town and/or state initiatives? That question needs to be answered as well as the negative aspects of the project need to be considered.

In addition to the unsightliness of the windmills, the noise level emitted from the windmills presents a problem as it may be unavoidable in some places and extremely loud in others. Just thinking about the constant humming gives me a headache…

Another shortcoming of the project is what will these lovely structures do to our property value? Being in Northern Maine we have enough obstructions such as harsh winters that last close to 6 months and limited resources/activities to offer. Do we really need another limitation/ restriction for ourselves?

Undoubtedly, the town of Fort Kent does a fantastic job putting itself on the map and attracting people to the area through various events such as Can Am and the Biathlon. We market ourselves in large part based on what we have to offer environmentally… great places to ski, fish, snowmobile and many other outdoor activities. All of this is offered at a low cost with an accompanying community attitude and atmosphere. The pristine and natural beauty of our town is definitely a contributor to all that Fort Kent does, as well as one of our largest assets and is crucial to our economy. The whole idea of the windmills goes against the image that Fort Kent has worked so hard to build for itself.

Assuredly, we would get used to the windmills to some degree, but before we jump on the bandwagon we need to consider all aspects and complete a cost benefit analysis. The cost benefit analysis needs to encompass not just monetary and actual costs but also opportunity costs. The opportunity costs of any action are simply the next best alternative(s) to that action.

What is the natural beauty and peace and quiet of Fort Kent worth to us?

Is the windmill project what we really want for our town? I am not so sure …

Leslie Guerrette
Resident of Fort Kent