DIXFIELD — Plans for a wind farm atop Colonel Holman Mountain drew a handful of opponents to to the selectmen’s meeting Monday night.

Following a sometimes contentious discussion with residents who oppose such development, the board set a special workshop for 5 p.m. Sept. 9 to begin discussing the procedure for the development of an ordinance to regulate wind farms in town.

The special session was triggered by a building permit granted to Patriot Renewables LLC, of Quincy, Mass., to construct a nearly 200-foot temporary meteorological tower atop the mountain. It would measure and record wind speed, wind direction and temperature. The ridgeline parallels Common Road.

Town Manager Eugene Skibitsky said the tower has already been completed.

He said the town has a limited number of ordinances to govern land use, and one that would regulate wind farms is not one of them.

“The selectmen are in the very beginning phases to learn about windmills and wind energy. When the selectmen know more about how to guide such development, we will ask for public input,” he said.

Board Chairwoman Bettina Martin said without an ordinance, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection can determine whether wind farms can be built in a community.

Some at Monday’s board meeting, weren’t ready to wait for a specified public hearing.

“This (potential wind farm) can tear a community apart,” said Katie Chiasson, a Pine Street resident with a summer residence in Roxbury Pond. “There’s a lot of unemployment, they are vultures. We have pristine mountains that have never been touched.”

She said the sounds and noise from wind turbines are also unhealthy for people living near them.

Recond Hill Wind LLC has gained approval to construct a wind farm on ridges in Roxbury.

Dan McKay, suggested that a 60-day moratorium be placed on wind farm development, while Dixfield businessman Tom Powell offered to work with the board to present information and education on such developments.

“I would attack the issue technically. We don’t need the power,” he said. “This is an industry that can overwhelm you.”

Fremont Tibbetts said selectmen kept the agenda item quiet.

“How come this wasn’t out?” he said, adding that no one would have known if he hadn’t talked with local residents.

The property currently being studied by Patriot Renewables LLC is owned by Thorndike and Sons and generally runs along the ridgeline of Colonel Holman Mountain and others adjacent to it.

The wind farm company is currently studying a ridgeline on the south side of Bald Mountain in neighboring Carthage for possibly 12 or 13 turbines.

[email protected]