Oct. 27--WELLFLEET -- Voters took a step toward owning a substantial wind turbine last night with a positive vote at a special town meeting.

Voters approved borrowing $290,000 to pay bid documents and permits for the turbine, a land survey, bird and wildlife studies and a document needed to connect the turbine to an NStar electric company substation.

The turbine would, when fully operational, generate an estimated $250,000 worth of electricity annually. That's roughly $70,000 to $80,000 above the town's yearly NStar bill, officials said.

Last night's approval occurred with a required two-thirds vote, based on the requirements of state Proposition 2 1/2 law that sets limits on property taxes. The borrowing must still be approved by a ballot vote today.

The election will be held from noon to 7 p.m. at the Wellfleet Senior Center at 715 Old Kings Highway.

The 1.5-megawatt turbine would be built on town-owned land at White Crest Beach on the Atlantic Ocean, within the bounds of the Cape Cod National Seashore. At its highest point, the turbine would be 400 feet tall, according to town officials.

"What are we waiting for?" asked resident Helen Miranda Wilson. "In 50 years this will be the norm."

About 280 people attended the town meeting at the Wellfleet Elementary School, out of roughly 2,600 registered voters, according to town officials.

Several people spoke against the turbine project, which could ultimately involve a $4.8 million construction price tag. The full construction proposal is likely to come before voters at next spring's annual town meeting.

Some worried that the estimated revenue projections that the town's energy committee made were wrong. One person asked why solar panels on the roofs of town buildings wouldn't suffice, and a few people mentioned that the turbine could spoil the view at White Crest Beach.

"This land is beautiful. Leave it alone," said Jim Rogers of Sandwich, who owns property in Wellfleet. "This isn't just for Wellfleet and all our utility bills."

Town officials said last night that their revenue and cost estimates are deliberately conservative and that the turbine could provide long-term protection against rising electricity rates. The officials also said solar panels do not produce the volume of electricity that a wind turbine can. The location for the turbine was also chosen because of the volume of the winds and because the town property is not part of the view that is considered "spectacular" in that area.

"Admittedly it is a sensitive area. It will stand out," said Wellfleet Energy Committee member Griswold Draz.