County planning commission to discuss comments on proposed WTG changes
LIVINGSTON TWP. — On Monday the Otsego County Planning Commission will discuss comments generated from last month’s public hearing regarding proposed changes to the county wind turbine generator (WTG) ordinance before they make a recommendation for adoption.
Planning commission chairman Randy Stults said once last month’s public comments have been reviewed and incorporated into any ordinance revisions, the next likely step would be to share the changes with individual townships for final review.
Once changes regarding issues of height, size, location and noise levels have been adequately addressed, Stults said commission members would then be prepared to make a recommendation to the Otsego County Board of Commissioners for adoption.
Stults didn’t rule out the possibility of one last public hearing for comments to any revised ordinance changes prior to adoption.
Proposed changes to the original ordinance, which primarily regulates use of large commercial WTG of up to 400 feet in height, have focused on regulating smaller WTG of less than 120 feet in height. The current ordinance allows and regulates small WTG of less than 35 feet.
Original revisions to the ordinance had considered allowing a maximum decibel level of 55 for smaller WTG but since then the WTG subcommittee has shifted its sound level focus to much lower levels, especially in residential and more populated area of the county.
Otsego County resident Herb Russell, who recently installed a 35-foot tall vertical wind generator at his Otsego Lake Township residence and intends to begin selling residential WTG once the new ordinance is in place, told common members at last month’s public hearing that many of the newer models generate noise at levels below 10 decibel — well below the 55 decibel maximum originally considered.
The public is invited to attend Monday’s meeting at the J. Richard Yuill Building’s Multipurpose Room which begins at 6 p.m.
By Michael Jones, Staff Writer
Gaylord Herald Times
20 November 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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