Santa Cruz County wind turbine presents conundrum for state regulators

Santa Cruz Sentinel ^ | 12/31/9 | Kurtis Alexander

[SmithL]

PLEASURE POINT -- The state Coastal Commission encourages California's seaside communities to embrace clean energy -- with a caveat. It has to look good.

The regulatory agency has told a Santa Cruz County couple that a wind turbine planned for their new home in the Pleasure Point neighborhood is too tall. Suggesting it would add to the area's "visual clutter," the commission recommends the residents lower their proposed 35-foot-high, electricity-generating windmill, an idea the home's architect says is simply unworkable.

"You can also put photovoltaic cells in a garage, but it's not going to do much for you," said Cove Britton, designer of the oceanfront house on Pleasure Point Drive. "If we drop the turbines, the other homes would block the wind."

The issue of wind turbines in the coast's residential areas is a first, commission planners say. While increasingly common in rural areas, the technology is new to the urban setting. And while the commission, which is charged with managing shoreline development across the state, says it doesn't want to set a precedent of snubbing wind projects, it's legally bound to protect the coast's scenic charm.

"In general, we do want to support this type of alternative energy, especially with the commission more recently concerned about climate change," said commission planner Katie Morange. "But at the same time, it can't come at the expense of coastal resources. What if every house started putting these up? What Advertisement would that mean for the viewshed?"

The commission's recommendation that the couple, Barry and Susan Porter, lower their turbine below the roof line, if they still want it, is expected to be taken up by the commission's governing board next month. A final decision on the matter would be rendered then.

"If these turbines are turned down...you can't use the wind turbines

[Tony in Hawaii]

Re: “Viewshed”

I guess it’s supposed to be like a “Watershed” except that it stores view, or something.

I’m just glad we now have a word that rhymes with “Orange”

There once was a gal named Morange
Whose brain was the size of an orange...