GHT planners approve wind turbine ordinance
The proposed wind energy turbine ordinance is blowing along in Grand Haven Township and could land in front of the Township Board as early as next week.
The Planning Commission Monday gave its final review of the proposed ordinance before voting 5-0 to recommend approval to the Township Board. Four commissioners were not at Monday’s meeting.
No changes had been made since its last review on March 16.
“Hopefully, we’ve got this thing to its final, final version to go to the Township Board,” Township Community Development Director Patrick Waterman said. “There’s been a lot of work and effort been put into it.”
“I think we’ve got it as close as we can,” said Commissioner Bruce Ralya. “It’s better to get something in the books.”
Waterman is pleased with the outcome of the proposed wind energy turbine, or WET, ordinance, but if changes are needed, there is room for future ordinance amendments, he said.
“I think the process went smoothly,” Waterman said.
Since the beginning of February, township planners have made numerous changes to the proposed ordinance, which was modeled after the county’s version.
Some of the major points of the township’s WET ordinance include:
-Turbine maximum power capacity: 250 kilowatts for medium turbines; 30 kilowatts for small tower-mounted turbines; and 10 kilowatts for small structure-mounted turbines.
- Wind turbines are allowed in all of the township’s zoning districts; however, the number and size of wind turbines may vary, depending on zoning classifications.
- With the proper inspection permits, a property owner in any zoned property may have up to three small structure-mounted wind turbines or one small tower-mounted wind turbine. However, if a residential property owner wishes to have more wind turbines than allowed, then they may have to go through the township’s Zoning Board of Appeals; while the owner of industrial- or commercial-zoned property who wants to add wind turbines would have to go through a site plan review with the Planning Commission.
Height
A medium wind energy turbine is not to exceed 150 feet; small structure-mounted turbines are not to exceed 15 feet from the highest point of the roof (not including chimneys or antennas and the like); and a small tower-mounted turbine is not to exceed 120 feet.
Location and setbacks
Small-structure mounted turbines cannot be affixed to the wall of a structure that faces a public or private street; medium and small tower-mounted turbines must be located in a rear yard or, if erected in the front or side lot, they must clear 150 feet, and rear lot line in the case of waterfront property, and be setback a distance equal to or greater than the total height of the turbine from any other lot lines measured from the base of the tower. Medium turbines may be located in a general common area of a condominium development.
— “Shadow flicker”: A turbine is not to produce more than 30 hours of flicker per year. Waterman said each turbine erected in the township will have a computer modeling program that will monitor the amount of flicker produced by each turbine, but enforcing the “shadow flicker” will be on a complaint basis.
— Noise: All wind turbines are not to exceed the maximum permissible sound levels of the township’s noise ordinance, or 65 decibels.
— Decommissioning: Owners of any wind energy turbine have up to six months to determine whether a turbine of any kind is producing energy and up to another six months to decommission it.
— All turbines are not to be lit, unless required by the Federal Aviation Administration or is approved by the township’s Planning Commission.
By Kyle Moroney
7 April 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
Some possibly related stories:
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- P.M. Twp. considers wind turbine changes
- Zeeland approves ordinance regulating wind energy turbines
- One more chance to review wind ordinance
- SLT planners postpone wind turbine regulations
- County considering changes to wind turbine ordinance
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