Letter: Solar projects unfairly penalize those who live nearby

Posted 4/17/19

To the editor:

When a long standing zoning ordinance is significantly changed you can be sure there will be "winners" and "losers.”  A transfer of wealth from one class of taxpayer to another …

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Letter: Solar projects unfairly penalize those who live nearby

Posted

To the editor:

When a long standing zoning ordinance is significantly changed you can be sure there will be "winners" and "losers.”  A transfer of wealth from one class of taxpayer to another class of taxpayer will inevitably occur. 

This fundamentally unfair occurrence will take place in spades if Little Compton allows the commercial generation and sale of electrical energy in the town's residential zone.  When a person purchases a property, the value of the property, and adjacent properties, is a function of the existing zoning regulations. 

The purchaser believes that the town will act in good faith and not change the rules in mid-stream.  The purchaser, in fact, has a contract with the town that should not be broken. 

To illustrate the consequence of the town not honoring this contract, imagine a home on a hill adjacent to a large farm.  The home overlooks the farm's colorful green pasture where cattle, horses and sheep graze.  A beautiful Little Compton scene it is.  The value of the home is clearly affected in a positive way. 

Now imagine that the cattle, horses and sheep are replaced by a black blanket of solar panels covering the entire pasture.  Not a speck of green can be seen. An ugly industrial scene it is.  The value of the home has gone down - way down.  But it is a windfall for the farmer as he now is a highly subsidized and lucrative energy producer.  The value of the farm has gone up - way up.  The unfair transfer of wealth has occurred.

Bob Venusti

Little Compton

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