There seems to be a misunderstanding about what is meant by property value.
There is the absolute dollars value of a property. There is irrefutable proof that one property sale worth $230,00 has fallen through directly because of the proposed wind energy project. This matter is now in the hands of the lawyers.
The only MLS listed property sale on the Gulf Shore since this project became known about sold at 30% less than the assessed value. Sales have been made elsewhere in the County, but not on the Shore.
There are at least seven property owners who have canceled or indefinitely postponed plans to build because of the project.
These numbers are the truth. If this happened anywhere else, not just in this area, there would be ans should be a public outcry. That is part of our complaint and our outcry.
The other, as important, parts of property value cannot be measured empirically.
This is the viewscapes, the peace and quiet and beauty.
There is the tradition - for multi generational residents and long time cottagers alike. There are some cottage areas where siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles have developed little family communities. People are retiring into these communities.
Visitors come to our homes and cottagers and rave about how delightful this area is. We take pride in that.
People like myself who have moved into the area did so for a reason. We were drawn to the area for these values.
I value the landscape, the neighbours, the wildlife, the farms, the warm waters and sandy beaches.
These are rarities in this ever busier 21st century life. They should be protected as they become more valuable.
If it is greedy of me to protect my lifestyle, so be it. Please do not accuse me or anyone else of greed just for wanting to protect what they have worked so hard for. No one anywhere, cottage country or not, would appreciate someone coming into their community and devalue their property.
We do not appreciate big money companies coming into our area, messing with our lifestyle, local economy and health, make a big bunch of money for themselves and leave.
That's greed, my friend.
David Suzuki agrees with us. Big time!
Oh, did I forget to mention that Canada’s greatest single environmentalist is opposed to this particular kind of project?
Dr Suzuki is very much for wind energy, although has concerns about bird mortality. What he very much opposes about them is when projects are in the hands of big money companies, financially benefiting very few. He opposes loss of lifestyle for any industrial project like this.
Pretty much our point of view too!
7 comments:
One sales does not make a market, you people should know that. We'll all see how well the over inflated Gulf Shore will do once these structures are completed. Time will tell but the more negative press that is pushed by a certain few individuals the more potential impacts will most likely be generated.
Someone with some time on their hand should put together a nice overview and compare the last several years for:
marketing times, sale to list price ratios, expired listings and so forth before you come up with the whole notion of property values being impacted. Sure the cottage indsutry is cool is Pugwash but what is it like elsewhere in Cumberland Country??
Now you have gone and done it!
You have quoted the environmentalist guru himself as not supporting this project. While that is probably not true like a lot of what is said on this blog I did find something that was true at www.davidsuzuki.org and found under the section on wind power that the David Suzuki Foundation believes that "wind energy has tremendous potential in Canada, with thousands of kilometers of shoreline along our lakes and oceans". Well if I use the same logic that you do, I could take that statement as saying that David Suzuki actually supports this project.
On another note I am sure that we would all love to go back to a cottage industry where we will never have to travel more than 5 Km's from our home to work/eat/play etc... and some of this might be realized if our urban developers had more vision. In your situation the truth of the matter, especially in the wind farm business, is that these things cost money and a lot of money at that. If you think that you are going to be able to go to the community and raise even a couple of million dollars through a joint co-op than you are dreaming, because in reality you need hundreds of millions of dollars to bring these projects to fruition. The co-op based model is not going to work in this field as long as the means to borrow money in this country are the way they are.
This blog has got to stop, because you are going to far. The one thing that I have always hated about the internet is that it gives rise to people like Lisa to voice their opinion in such a way that they can proclaim a great anmount of support and most importantly are able to publish lies without worry of facing repurcussion. This is a good project and I am all for it and I hope that those that support it start peppering this blog with their own support until the misleading authors can be drowned out!
wind power has its benefits.
it also has its problems.
those not having to live next to its problems support it.
those who do live or would like to live next to a proposed project have valid concerns.
I see now why the Gulf Shore residents are so greedy about their property values. A quick check of the municipal tax role shows a particular resident's property value (I won't mention the name - you can guess) has increased 51% in the last 5 years. Even if his/her property value drops 20% its still higher than it was 3 years ago. In my area the values have increased only 14% in the same period.
Perhaps Anne Murray could host a benefit concert at the shore to raise money for the top lawyers needed to fight this wind turbine project.
Charles
You are not wanted on the Gulf Shore
take your Wind Turbines elsewhere.
Leave us alone. We love our peaceful, nature filled land. Don't screw it up out of greed.
You said you would go away if you really were not wanted here, so...
GO AWAY AND LEAVE OUR BEAUTIFUL AREA ALONE!!!!!!!!!! You truly are not wanted here, listen to the people and come to your senses - put the windfarm somewhere else!
curious--does anyone on the north shore suffer from respiratory ailments? Asthma? COPD? Health concerns are one of the things you are using to protest, but the pollution from coal-powered generation has a significant, measured effect on a huge number of people--1 in 4 children in Nova Scotia suffer from asthma. There may indeed be an ailment stemming from exposure to wind turbine noise and vibration, but more substantiating research is needed, because thus far it seems to only affect a small percent of very sensitive individuals.
Are these companies really "Big money" come-from aways? I was under the impression that most, if not all, wind companies now operating had locals involved substantially. Granted, it would be better if the system encouraged smaller-scale producers like Black River, but this is indubitably a step in the right direction. Or need i remind you that the fact that Nova Scotia Power is one of the top five polluters in the world stands to affect property values and economic prosperity all over NS?? Surely we have common ground, short of telling each other to get out of our communities.
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