Harvest Hills host visual simulations for public

COLFAX - Community members were invited to The Center to see draft visual simulations of Harvest Hills' proposed wind turbine project near Kamiak Butte on Thursday, July 25, and again on Friday.

Harvest Hill Project Director Shane Roche said that they decided to do the visual simulations after listening to the concerns of the community.

"The number one concern that people have talked about is the viewshed from Kamiak Butte, so we're here as one of the first steps to be transparent," said Roche.

Residents in opposition to the project were seen standing outside the library with signs stating "No Wind Turbines." Other locals would disagree that the company was being transparent, after viewing the images presented.

"It's nice to see, but it's missing some of the stuff if you look at it from a different angle," said Colfax resident and 'Save the Palouse' member Dan Lenssen.

"Secrecy is the hallmark of a liar," said local Farmer Bill Myers.

Lenssen said that the company is not showing them all the information. "A couple are at a low point, once you get up high you'll see a lot," he said in reference to the turbines.

One of Lenssen's concerns is if the company is able to put wind turbines in the Kamiak Butte area then they will be everywhere. "Other companies are looking at other locations," he said, mentioning areas near Risbeck and west of Union Flat Creek.

According to Roche, the aim of the simulations was to show a realistic view from the butte and other observation points of where the project area would be located. "That's why we're inviting people in to look at it, so they can see and kind of set the expectation of what our project will look like," he said.

"I thought that they greatly understated the visual affect," said Whitman County resident Doug Robinson, "You look at the pictures and you could hardly see what they were talking about."

Robinson said that he felt they were minimizing the visual impact, but had alternative locations in mind for Harvest Hills to relocate their project.

"My suggestion is that if they're going to build one in Whitman County they ought to look at the breaks of the Snake River across from that development in Columbia County," Robinson said.

Robinson said that he mentioned this to Harvest Hills Wind at the simulation Thursday and they admitted that they had never thought of, or looked at, the area located near the Snake River.

According to Robinson, he would suggest that instead of trying to stop the project, those in strong opposition should try to get the company to relocate it.

"I think the reason they want to put it where it is, is because it's easy," Robinson said, noting that since the ground is flat they can just put them in and be done with it.

Robinson said the company owes it to Whitman County to go down and investigate that area as a potential for their project.

According to Roche the simulations are just one meeting of many Harvest Hills plans to do. "We're going to be doing meetings throughout the fall," he said, noting that they would address different issues the community has pointed out.

"We are committed to being good developers, good neighbors, and to be transparent as we continue to work with the county and the community," said Roche.

Robinson said that anybody driving on U.S. 195 can see the wind turbines near Rosalia from 20 miles away. "I think they greatly understated the visual impact and I think they are very disingenuous there."