Burlington, Vermont - May 20, 2011
As you drive down Shelburne Road in Burlington do you notice the turbine on top of the Spot restaurant?
"This model is designed to capture speed at 2 mph wind speed," owner Russ Scully explained.
It's the turbine-- more specifically the wings on it-- that are ruffling feathers at Burlington's Planning and Zoning Department.
"They were permitted by the city in August to put a turbine in that location. They didn't install it the way it was approved," said David White, the director of Burlington Planning and Zoning.
"When they shipped us the initial prototype it didn't have wings or a fin on the side of it," Scully said.
Honeywell, which made the turbine, added the wings as a performance modification.
"When they attached the fins the board felt it had a much more great impact," White said.
"If we take the fins off we capture less power," Scully said. "So we want to leave them on to capture as much energy as we can, given all the money and effort that was spent."
So what's the happy medium? The Spot is going to pick out different shades of gray and blue to paint the wings and Planning and Zoning will have the final say.
Reporter Gina Bullard: Do you think it's all getting a little silly?
Russ Scully: I think since this issue has come up I've been a lightning rod for planning and zoning horror stories.
The one-time gas station is from 1964 and considered a historic landmark in Burlington. Planning and Zoning wants to keep it that way. They also don't want to distract drivers.
"That exaggerated modern canopy is a feature and the board is looking to not detract from that feature of the building," White explained.
"I'm just interested in coming up with a good compromise where everyone wins or gets as much as what they want to accomplish done," Scully said.
Although the Spot isn't sure how much power they get from the turbine, they say it's important to help with the environmental impact. The Spot hopes to submit colors to the Planning and Zoning Board in the next two weeks.
Gina Bullard - WCAX News
