BEEKMANTOWN -- Nineteen months and three lawyers later, the Town Council is closing in on regulations for wind-power facilities -- and not a moment too soon.

Beekmantown's extended moratorium, which bars any new wind projects, ends in January.

The first draft of the law is on the table and being reviewed by the councilors until the Nov. 5 meeting.

Agricultural Zone

Since it's still early, Relation didn't want to reveal too many details about the law, but he did say that the Town Council has decided to let turbines into agriculturally zoned areas.

"Specifically because the Agricultural Zone has the larger tracts of land," Relation explained. "That's not to say that the other zones don't have large tracts of land, but, generally speaking, the Agricultural Zone has larger ones."

For farmers, wind-harvesting development can be a nice financial kickback.

"I don't think the Town Board has a problem with farmers realizing revenue on their property," Relation said.

Turbines don't have to be owned by farmers.

"Commercial (wind developers) could build there, but they would have to meet the requirements of the law," Relation said.

Residential EXCLUDED

Substantial set-back requirements for the turbines and the property will specifically exclude residential zones, such as the R-2 zone where Windhorse Power's 13-turbine facility has permission to build.

Windhorse Power was not included in the moratorium, since the project was already before the Beekmantown Zoning Board of Appeals, awaiting a decision, when the ban was passed.

A definition change in the Beekmantown Zoning Law will keep new turbines from the residential zones.

"Essential services" are currently allowed in every zone and include public utilities, such as electrical substations and "similar facilities that provide essential use and services."