Horse Heaven Hills Wind & Solar Project Update
November 11, 2024
To Dismiss and Ignore Visual Impacts and Their Effects on Property Values is Unacceptable
Tri-Cities CARES is fighting a legal battle to prevent the Tri-Cities from being significantly impacted by the Horse Heaven Hills Wind and Solar Project. The visual impacts and their effects on residential communities can be seen in the slides below.
We are asking you to join us and help us take this to the Washington Supreme Court.
Filing a Lawsuit to the Washington Supreme Court is the Only Remaining Option
The Governor's October 18, 2024 approval of the HH Project dismissed and ignored the visual impacts of the wind turbines on real estate property values in the Tri-Cities.
EFSEC’s Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), as well as the judicial summary of the adjudication proceeding (Order 892), specifically and explicitly recognized that the project, as proposed, will result in significant adverse visual impacts and that further mitigation, ”…including the removal of multiple turbines, must be required in order to minimize the visual impact of the Project on the Tri-Cities Region and on the Yakama Nation TCPs.”
EFSEC’s May 23rd Recommendation to the Governor eliminated a large number of the most visually obstructive wind turbines and mitigated the visual impacts significantly. However, the Governor sent EFSEC a Remand directive which resulted in EFSEC’s September 23rd revised Recommendation that removed the visual mitigations and could potentially return the visual impacts to the original proposed levels.
The only way to challenge the Governor’s October 18, 2024 decision, is to file a lawsuit with the Washington Supreme Court to require that this poorly sited Project be denied or, at the very least, that the drastic visual impacts of the Project's wind turbines be adequately addressed.
The Severity of the Visual Impact on Property Values on the Tri-Cities
There is widespread recognition that people pay more for scenery and pay less when the views are obstructed by energy industrial facilities and infrastructure (e.g. power lines, electrical substations, battery storage systems, coal, gas, or nuclear power generation facilities, and wind turbines).
There is evidence in the literature that 9 to 10 percent property value reductions to residences can occur within 5 miles of wind turbines and that the value reductions increase with the number of turbines that can be seen.
With over 100,000 Benton County residents living within six miles of the project boundary, the Governor’s decision ignores the significant adverse economic impacts that will occur as a result of visual impacts on residential communities such as Benton City, Badger Mountain South, Summitview, Rancho Reata, Thompson Hill, Canyon Lakes, south Kennewick, and Finley.
During the adjudication, TCC’s property appraisal experts gave testimony that real estate prices may be reduced 20 to 30 percent and properties close to the turbines may never sell.
Distance to visible turbines is not the only impact. The number of households affected by the visual impacts is much, much larger than just homes in close proximity to the Project. Neighboring places will be affected by the decreased value of nearby properties.
This impact will cascade down through the economic system. This will threaten the future growth and development of the entire region.
Real estate professionals and property developers in the Tri-Cities will bear the brunt of the impacts along with the home owners they represent.
Real estate professionals will incur a concomitant reduction in fees resulting in less money per sale. Homes will be more difficult to sell.
We are requesting you join with us in supporting the fight against this project.
This Is the Final Battle. Can You Help?
We need to know if you will support us in this next phase. Legal fees are paid solely by your donations. Every dollar will be spent on legal expenses required to present the best possible case.
Initial donations will be used to cover our outstanding $5,920.14 attorney bill with some additional charges related to preparation for a lawsuit likely in November. All overage will go toward the lawsuit.
If we do not receive enough financial support to proceed with the suit, we will return donations after TCC’s outstanding legal bill is paid in full.
If you are an individual, please donate $100, $250, $500, $1,000 – or whatever you feel good about giving to the cause.
If you are an organization or business, please consider making a pledge to donate $5,000 or $10,000 or more over the coming year.
Donations can be made at https://www.tricitiescares.org/donations or by mailing a check to:
Tri-Cities Cares, 1360 N Louisiana St #A-175, Kennewick, WA 99336
Use TCC’s EIN# 88-2759108 for tax purposes and for donations made from IRA accounts.
Please reply to this email and let us know if you can make a commitment pledge to help us with the lawsuit.
We need your response and commitment pledge no later than November 13, since the deadline to file the lawsuit is December 2, 2024.
We are very honored by your ongoing support and encouragement and sincerely thank you for your donations.
Please contact us if you have any questions at all.
Together Let’s Save the Horse Heaven Hills!!
