Grand Haven Township possible location for industrial wind turbines
GRAND HAVEN TWP. — Grand Rapids has an energy renewable goal of 100 percent by 2020. As part of its plan to attain that milestone, the city is looking into the feasibility of erecting two 300-foot, industrial-sized wind turbines in Grand Haven Township.
The turbines would be at the water filtration plant it owns at the southeast corner of Lake Michigan and Lakeshore drives.
The Grand Haven Township Board recently reviewed three policy options where the turbines could be allowed. Staff have begun drafting zoning text amendments to the previous wind turbine ordinance that was approved in April.
That ordinance addressed three types of energy wind turbines that could be constructed in the township: small structure-mounted turbines, small tower wind turbines and medium wind turbines.
Currently, the ordinance does not allow turbines to be taller than 150 feet and power more than 250 kilowatts. The 300-foot wind turbines could potentially generate more than that.
“We didn’t address large wind turbines because we didn’t anticipate we would have requests for them because of their feasibility,” township community development director Patrick Waterman said. Since the original ordinance was approved, the Meijer store was the first in the township to install wind turbines. Seaver Finishing recently built a small structure-mounted turbine at its site on Hayes Street.
According to Waterman, Grand Rapids owns two parcels in the township — one where the water plant is and another 79 acres to the south. The wind turbines, he said, would be located away from residential areas in a remote southern area of the vacant acreage.
He indicated that Grand Rapids has mounted three wind anemometers at the site to measure wind speed and direction before it spends the money to undertake a feasibility study.
“The city is looking to the township to see if it would be willing to amend the ordinance and the board has determined that we would. The entire process could take three to six months,” Waterman said.
Township officials anticipate a lot of regional attention to the project from residents. Waterman said a public hearing will be held.
“Right now, all we can do is scientifically evaluate what the potential impact might be and try to mitigate and offset those impacts,” he said. “This is a new alternative and part of our nation’s push for sustainability,” Waterman said. “We imagine we might get concerns and conflicts about nuisances, and we will address those as best we can.”
The Grand Rapids water plant was built in 1960 and was expanded in the early 1990s. It serves approximately 300,000 people in Grand Rapids and is its sole source of water. It also serves 12 other communities, including 600 residents in Grand Haven Township.
By North Ottawa Weekly
24 October 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
Some possibly related stories:
- Grand Haven Township schedules public hearing on proposed wind turbines on lakefront
- City of Grand Rapids considering wind turbine use near Lake Michigan
- Grand Haven Township residents oppose Grand Rapids plan to build wind turbines near their homes
- Grand Rapids plan for wind turbines at water plant faces federal, Grand Haven Township scrutiny
- Grand Haven Township wind turbine project continues
- Grand Haven Township residents voice concerns about proposed wind turbines
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