Draft wind turbine regulations are up for discussion Nov. 12
The Estes Valley Planning Commission will hold a special meeting on Nov. 12 at 1:30 p.m. in the town board room of town hall. The public is invited to attend and comment as commissioners consider draft regulations on small-scale residential wind turbines based on input received in a recent public survey.
The draft regulations will serve as a framework for discussion. Proposed regulations include a limit of one wind turbine installation per lot with a maximum height of 50 feet and a property line setback of at least three times the unit height. Also proposed is that inoperative units should be removed by the owner within six months of becoming inoperative.
Public input has been the driving force for the issue of wind turbines in Estes Park. Town staff recently conducted a voluntary-response survey related to wind turbines that received 804 responses. Results indicate that the majority (65.1 percent) do not want wind turbines to be banned by the Estes Valley Development Code. Of that majority, 53.7 percent want wind turbines to be regulated and 32.4 percent of respondents want to see wind turbines banned outright.
The planning commission will continue wind turbine discussions at its regular meeting on Nov. 17 at 6:00 p.m. in the town board room. Commissioners have the option to recommend to town trustees a ban on wind turbines, the adoption of regulations or to have no regulations at all.
The temporary moratorium on wind turbine installations passed by the town board will continue as the issues are reviewed. The moratorium prohibits the issuance of building permits for wind turbines within town limits until Dec. 9, unless amended or terminated by the town board. It does not affect the construction of turbines for which a permit has already been issued.
Renewable energy survey results are available for viewing at estes.org. Visitors to the site can click on the renewable energy survey link to view the results. For more information, call the Town of Estes Park Public Information Office at 970-577-3701. To receive town news by e-mail, please e-mail spetrie@estes.org.
By Kate Rusch Special to the Trail-Gazette
Estes Park Trail-Gazette
4 November 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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