The Impact of Wind Power Projects on Residential Property Values ...

maintained from long distances, while some homes relatively near the turbines have no view <strong>of</strong>
the turbines whatsoever. <strong>The</strong> area enjoys a substantial amount <strong>of</strong> second home ownership
because <strong>of</strong> the bucolic scenic vistas, the high frequency <strong>of</strong> lakes and ponds, and the proximity to
larger metropolitan areas such as Scranton, roughly 25 miles to the Southwest, and Wilkes-Barre
a further 15 miles Southwest.
Data Collection and Summary
John Nolan, the County Chief Assessor, was very helpful in overseeing the extraction <strong>of</strong> the data
from county records. GIS specialist Aeron Lankford provided the GIS parcel data as well as
other mapping layers, and Bruce Grandjean, the IT and Data Specialist, provided the sales and
home characteristic data as well as fielding countless questions as they arose. Additionally, real
estate brokers Dotti Korpics <strong>of</strong> Bethany, Kent Swartz <strong>of</strong> Re Max, and Tom Cush <strong>of</strong> Choice #1
Country Real Estate were instrumental providing context for understanding the local market.
<strong>The</strong> county provided data on 551 valid single-family transactions that occurred between 1996
and 2007, all <strong>of</strong> which were included in the sample. <strong>The</strong>se sales ranged in price from $20,000 to
$444,500, with a mean <strong>of</strong> $111,522. Because <strong>of</strong> the relatively recent development <strong>of</strong> the wind
facility, only 40% (n = 222) <strong>of</strong> the sales transaction occurred after the construction <strong>of</strong> the facility
had commenced. Of those sales, 43 (19%) had views <strong>of</strong> the turbines, ten <strong>of</strong> which had more
dramatic than MINOR views, and 11 were situated within one mile.
Area Statistics
Study Period Study Period Number <strong>of</strong> Median Mean Minimum Maximum
Begin End Sales Price Price Price Price
7/12/1996 9/25/2006 551 $96,000 $111,522 $20,000 $444,500
Facility Statistics
Facility Name
Number <strong>of</strong>
MW
Number <strong>of</strong>
Turbines
Announce
Date
Construction
Begin Date
Completion
Date
Turbine
Maker
Hub Height
(Meters)
Waymart <strong>Wind</strong> Farm 64.5 43 Feb-01 Jun-03 Oct-03 GE <strong>Wind</strong> 65
Source: AWEA & Ventyx Inc.
Variables <strong>of</strong> Interest Statistics
Development Period
Pre
Announcement
Post Announcement
Pre Construction
1st Year After
Construction
2nd Year After
Construction
2+ Years After
Construction
Total
Wayne, PA (PAWC) 223 106 64 71 87 551
View <strong>of</strong> Turbines
Pre
Construction
None Minor Moderate Substantial Extreme Total
Wayne, PA (PAWC) 329 179 33 8 2 0 551
Distance to
Nearest Turbine
Pre
Construction
< 0.57 Miles 0.57 - 1 Miles 1 - 3 Miles 3 - 5 Miles > 5 Miles Total
Wayne, PA (PAWC) 329 1 10 95 55 61 551
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