Town Opposes Cape Wind But Accepts Benefits Anyway

This article, Yarmouth, Cape Wind Have Transmission Cables Deal , Townonline.com (9/23/04) highlights the tensions that a community faces when a large developer comes to town. In the case of Yarmouth, Massachusetts, public officials are on record as opposed to the Cape Wind Project. But at the same time, as the article reveals, the Yarmouth board also entered into a mitigation agreement with the Cape Wind developer that could bring $9 million to the town over a 20 year period.
The article summarizes the competing forces at work:

Although at first glance contradictory, town officials say the move makes perfect sense because the board has policy responsibilities - opposing the controversial project in hopes that it doesn't get built - and financial responsibilities - making sure the town is properly compensated if it does[...]"The board is against this [the project], but it was our understanding that the siting board could overrule the board, in which case the town would get nothing," Lawton said. "What we wanted to say was, 'If this happens, the town needs to be financially protected.'"

The town's explanation makes some sense - but at the same time, the town can no longer argue that if the project is built, benefits will not accrue to the community - because the July 2003 mitigation agreement makes clear that they will.