Borough to keep wind farm land, breached dams in MABS sale; will receive cell tower revenue for 10 years
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - The Locust Ridge II Wind Farm near Raven Run.
SHENANDOAH – The borough will retain the breached Kehley Run dams, as well as the MABS-owned portion of the Locust Ridge wind farm, according to the borough’s asset purchase agreement with Aqua Pennsylvania.
FULL COVERAGE
Additionally, the borough will receive revenue from cell tower leases on MABS land and property for 10 years.
These items were included as “excluded assets” in the asset purchase agreement — assets that will not be sold to Aqua.
The borough signed the agreement with Aqua, of Bryn Mawr, one of the largest private water companies in the nation, last year to sell the municipal authority for $12 Million.
MABS serves about 2,900 customers in the borough, West Mahanoy Township, and parts of Butler Township and Girardville.
Through its Roaring Creek Division, Aqua provides water service to Girardville, Mount Carmel, Aristes, and Shamokin with reservoirs and a water treatment plant near Elysburg. Statewide, Aqua serves about 448,000 customers across 32 counties.
Under the agreement, the borough will retain the wind energy facilities of the Locust Ridge II wind farm and the land beneath them, the three breached Kehley Run dams, the Brandonville Dam and Pump Station, “vacant land not required for operation of the system,” and “certain cell tower revenue.”
For the first five years after the sale closes, the borough will receive all revenue from the lease which allows Verizon Wireless to place cell tower equipment on the Turkey Run water tower.
For the following five years, the borough will receive the first $10,000 each year.
After that, Aqua will receive the remainder of the revenue.
The Kehley Run dams are atop Locust Mountain, two of which are along Ringtown Boulevard on the way to Ringtown. The third is behind the former Sandy Beach Recreation Area.
Read the asset purchase agreement here
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