BEEKMANTOWN — The conditional-use permit allowing a 13-turbine wind development here surpassed its latest obstacle Wednesday night.

The permit, granted by Beekmantown Zoning Board of Appeals to Windhorse Power, LLC, has been an object of controversy and litigation since it was first issued on Jan. 31, 2007.

UNANIMOUS

The project was taken over by Penn Energy Trust, LLC, which had to prove that it had taken “overt action” on the plan in order to keep the use permit.

That was the only focus of meetings held last Friday and Wednesday night.

“An overt action was taken in the required time frame of 180 days,” Zoning Board Chairperson Janice Marchut Conrad said. “We took ours tonight, I guess.”

Zoning Board members Patrick Sullivan, Dr. Jerome Davis, Colleen Monty and Karen Billings followed Conrad in voting to uphold the permit, making it a unanimous decision.

COURT ACTION

A legal challenge came twice over the years from the West Beekmantown Neighborhood Association. The not-for-profit group has been vocal in opposition to the project, saying it violates town zoning laws.

The Zoning Board decided that Penn demonstrated an overt action by defending itself against the Neighborhood Association.

“The determination by the Zoning Board was upheld by a superior court judge and subsequently upheld by an appellate court of five judges,” Marchut Conrad noted.

LAND PURCHASES