June 4, 2008
BERLIN — Mayor David Bertrand called on North American Dismantling to stop its plan to sell part of the former mill property to Laidlaw Energy for a biomass plant.
At Monday’s council meeting, Bertrand asked NAD to commit to other options for the property. He said the city is willing to work with the company to facilitate mixed use development of the site.
To protect the city’s future, he urged the council to support a proposed zoning amendment that would allow renewable energy facilities by special exception in industrial/business and rural residential zones. The amendment was presented and had a first reading Monday night.
Bertrand said the closing of the Fraser mill has changed the landscape of the city forever and provided the city with an opportunity to chart a new course. He said he has spoken to many residents since his election and there is near unanimous opposition to converting the old recovery boiler into a biomass facility.
“The citizens of Berlin no longer want a smokestack as the dominant feature of their downtown,” Bertrand said. The mayor said the 120-acre piece of property is centered in a small city where the natural surroundings make it one of the most desirable pieces of property in the North Country.
“The scenic resources are a key component of our future economic development, and the type of structure that currently exists, and its associated smokestack, are a detriment to our ability to pursue avenues of economic development that have the natural beauty our surroundings as a key component,” he said.
City Planner Pamela Laflamme outlined the proposed zoning amendment. She said the existing zoning ordinance does not mentioned bulk power supply or renewable energy facilities. Three years ago, the city amended the ordinance to allow wind mills or turbines in rural residential zones.
The proposed amendment would establish criteria for granting a special exception. Laflamme said the city wants to site the facilities in certain zones. The amendment states that through the master plan process, citizens have indicated a desire to ideally locate such facilities “outside of the downtown area”. The amendment requires applicants to provide a report identifying the primary fuel source to be used and that there is an adequate long-range supply available for the project.
Projects must be sited to maximize use of existing transmission lines and the inappropriateness of the location of new transmission lines constitutes grounds for denial. Projects over 30 megawatts fall under the jurisdiction of the State Evaluation Committee for permitting. Developers must still get zoning approval from the community. Projects under 30 megawatts will go through the city’s site plan review process.
The mayor’s statement earned the support of a majority of the council. McCue said he thought the mayor was charting a wise path. Donovan said it is obvious citizens want a change in direction. A public hearing on the zoning amendment is scheduled for June 16.
In other business:
* The council approved a resolution granting preliminary approval to issue $10
million in revenue bonds to Greenova for a proposed wood pellet plant at the
city’s industrial park. City Manager Patrick MacQueen explained that the city
simply acts as the conduit for the revenue bonds. Berlin will incur no liability
and the bonds will not reduce the bonding capacity of the city.
* MacQueen reported the underground work on Green Street bridge is now complete and the bridge is again open to traffic. Final paving will occur later this summer when all the curbing and finish work is completed but the bridge should remain open during that work.
* The burned out property on Goebel Street owned by Heinrich Kandel and others has been cleared out and the lot filled in with loam and seeded. MacQueen said the building was the last major burnt out property in the city.