Pine supervisors voted last week to appeal a decision from the township's Zoning Board that would prevent the construction of a proposed 120-foot-tall wind turbine.

The appeal will be filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, said township Manager Gary Koehler. The action was approved by a vote of 4-1.

In July, the zoning hearing board denied a request by the township for a height variance to allow construction of a wind turbine in Pine Community Park.

The township's zoning ordinance allows structures up to 35 feet in residential areas. The township is, however, rewriting its code and is proposing a measure that would allow the construction of energy conversion systems, such as wind turbines. The proposal, which has yet to be approved, would allow the township to bypass the appeal process and proceed with construction of the turbine, Koehler said.

The wind turbine, which would be built on the southwestern part of the park near the Warrendale Bakerstown Road entrance, would help power the municipal building, which also houses the police department, and a proposed community center. The plans also call for excess energy generated from the turbine to be sold to power companies.

Officials said the project would save at least $11,000 in electricity bills annually.

"Besides potential savings for the tax payers ... we look at it as a great educational opportunity to show students how these wind turbines ... can produce energy and help save the environment," Koehler said.

Some residents, however, are uneasy with the project. Eighty-five people signed a petition protesting the structure.

Craig Merritt, 49, whose property abuts the park and sits 575 feet away from the proposed site of the turbine, said besides being an eyesore, he worries about the level of noise the turbine may generate and its possible effect on wildlife in the area.

"It's a big waste of money for a little savings," Merritt said. "And when this doesn't generate the power they think it's going to generate, they'll say, 'Oh, we need another two.' "

Others worry that property values in the area would decrease.

Wendy O'Donnell, who lives on Greenwood Drive, said one house near the park has been on the market for more than a year. She attributed that, in part, to the presence of a nearby water tower and said she imagined the wind turbine would exacerbate the problem.

"People are very concerned," O'Donnell said. "There is so much development in Pine Township. For the folks that are in an existing house and want to sell their property, there is going to be a real struggle. You have these houses that you can't sell."

The structure would be located about 550 feet from the 60-foot water tower. The turbine would be placed on land 40 feet below the water tower, which sits on a hill, making the turbine stand only 20 feet taller than the water tower, Koehler said.

The township was awarded a $62,800 grant in November -- half the cost of the wind turbine -- from the state Department of Environmental Protection's Energy Harvest Program, which provides funding for projects that use renewable energy. The township will contribute the other half, which has already been budgeted.

Koehler estimated the project would pay for itself in about seven years.

Some residents have also said the township is preventing them from voicing their opposition to the project. They cited two supervisors' meetings, scheduled for a Wednesday and Tuesday respectively, that were announced the Friday before holiday weekends.

Koehler scoffed at those accusations. He said the project has been publicly discussed seven times in meetings with the parks and recreation commission, environmental advisory council, zoning hearing board and the board of supervisors since Jan. 18. And he said in one instance, the township sent registered letters to property owners near the site to inform them of an upcoming meeting, a move that is not required by law.

"It's not a great conspiracy," Koehler said. "It's not like we're trying to hide anything. It's aggravating to me that we continue to be misrepresented."

The next supervisors' meeting, where the zoning ordinance code will be discussed, is scheduled for Oct. 3., Koehler said.