For now at least, plans to erect a windmill that would
provide clean energy to the entire Nan McEvoy olive ranch on Point Reyes-Petaluma
Road will be delayed.
The former cattle ranch was bought by McEvoy in 1991
and has since been converted into one of the premier olive-oil producers
in the United States.
McEvoy, who formerly chaired the board of The San
Francisco Chronicle, originally planted olives to satisfy the county’s
agricultural-zoning requirements. In order to build an estate on Red
Hill, she was required to keep the bulk of the ranch in full-scale agriculture.
The windmill, which in the latest proposal would be
246 feet high, was originally approved by a county deputy zoning administrator.
Neighbor Sumner Schlesinger, however, appealed the
zoning administrator’s decision, and on Monday was able to get
county planning commissioners to overturn it by a 6-to-1 vote.
If McEvoy Ranch still wants to operate on sustainable
energy, it must now come up with a new design and location.
"Obviously [the commission’s decision] is
disappointing," said Tom Willard, owner of Sustainergy Systems
in Inverness and project manager of the McEvoy windmill. "I’m
hoping that the county will find a way in the near future to support
wind projects."
Neighbors speak out
Schlesinger and other neighbors on Monday complained
to commissioners about the proposed windmill’s size, appearance,
and sound.
They said it would be incompatible with the rural
landscape and might harm birds, and were unhappy with the red light
on the windmill tower that would serve as a warning to airplanes.
"We’ll hear it in our bedroom," said
Schlesinger. "It would be a horrendous structure right in our backyard."
Attorney Terence Hallinan, speaking for Suzie Schlesinger’s
(Sumner’s wife), described the size of the windmill as an example
of "extravagance by the landowner." He added, "The impact
of this is going to be tremendous."
Another neighbor, Josh Reicheck, assailed the designers
of McEvoy’s proposed windmill. "Her experts are blinded by
greed," he said. "The sheer vertical size has far-reaching
negative impacts."
Planet v. aesthetic
In the end, only West Marin’s commissioner, Wade
Holland of Inverness, voted in favor of the proposed windmill. Holland
admitted that he was struck by the size but added, "The neighbors’
sacrifices are minimal compared to those our kids may face.
"Protecting our aesthetic is No. 1, but protecting
our planet is above that."
Other commissioners said they liked the idea of alternative
energy, but not on that scale. Commissioner Don Dickinson called the
size "absurd." Commissioner Randy Greenberg described it as
"enormous and very distracting." The committee’s chairman,
Steve Thompson, said, "If we can’t re-site this tower to be
out of range of people’s homes, I don’t think it should go
forward."
Solar energy next?
"We’re going to go back, look at it, and
try to find a way to not impact the neighbors," Willard said after
the commission hearing.
"We’re not going to give up. It’s too
important an issue." He said that the rejected site was chosen
after four years of study and that it is by far the best spot for getting
the most energy at a low cost while not affecting the environment.
Now, he said, the McEvoy Ranch is going to look into
solar energy, as well as continuing to evaluate wind energy.
As for neighbors saying the windmill would look out
of place in the countryside, Willard remarked, "It’s unfortunate
because that’s what windmills look like.
"We want to reduce and eliminate our environmental
footprint," Willard said, "and we’re basically told we
can’t do that."