When Kurt Karpavich, a resident of Watertown, Connecticut, an affluent rural town in Litchfield County, sought a variance from the town to put up a 17m turbine behind his house last summer, a dozen neighbors signed a petition against it and placed signs reading "No to the Windmill" on their lawns.
Jacqueline and David Daddona, who live next to Karpavich, are concerned that his turbine will cast shadows on their house, attract lightning and mar their view of the Naugatuck Valley.
Others objected to the presence of a tower rising above the roofline.
"I'm not against the environment, but I just think there's a place for all this," the Daddonas said. "You shouldn't try to save a little bit on your electrical bill if it affects your neighbors."
Karpavich was granted the variance in early summer, but the Daddonas appealed the decision and sued the town planning and zoning appeals commission as well as Karpavich.
The various parties will meet next month in Watertown Superior Court. Karpavich hopes the legal wrangling is done by this winter so he can install the turbine -- the town's first -- in the spring.
"It's been a tough fight," Karpavich said. "But it's more of a crusade now."
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