Cicero (WSYR-TV) - An age old device is gaining new found attention, thanks to tax credits from the government. As a result, more people are turning to windmills to provide power to their home.
But one Cicero man is finding the going tough, in his attempts to have a windmill constructed on his property.
In this one of Your Stories, Keith Kobland takes a closer look at the growing pains facing homeowners and town leaders, when it comes to this wind harnessing device.
“If I put it anywhere on this property, there's buildings going down here, so there is no where to put it,” says Gary Thompson.
Thompson has a dilemma. He wants to put a windmill on his property in back of his Route 11 business - Parties, Picnics, and Promotion. He's done his homework, and says it's a prime spot too.
“There is always a breeze through here - I wanted to take advantage of it and I thought the windmill would be the best way,” Thompson says.
But he has been denied by the town, because the site would be located too close to other buildings he plans to construct.
This all comes at a time when an increasing number of homeowners, looking to take advantage of hefty tax credits, are filing permits to build windmills.
Last year, Cicero placed a six-month moratorium on applications for windmills, and other towns are also taking a closer at what’s reasonable -- and while companies that build them haven't had much issue, Gary is finding, in his case, little luck.
“You want to go green … I don't think they’re ready to go green,” Thompson says.
In the meantime, windmill sales have been brisk, with one salesman telling us he's not hurting for business.
The cost for installation of a windmill can run in the tens of thousands of dollars. One of the Parade of Homes houses under construction in the Town of Onondaga will feature a windmill this year.
