Floyd County ordinance likely wipes out wind turbines proposal  

Credit:  By: Ken Heineck, WSLS 10, www2.wsls.com 13 December 2011 ~~

FLOYD COUNTY, VA — Floyd County leaders are no longer willing to consider changing their horizon, for a company called Horizon Wind Energy, that wants to put up more than a dozen wind turbines along Wills Ridge.

The board says it had to take some kind of action or a company like Horizon could put whatever it wants on property it has control of in Floyd.

“It’s not just about the wind issue, that’s what got everybody talking about it, after that wind issue, it came up that, well what if we have condos, what other things would they want to develop along the ridgeline,” said Case Clinger, from the county’s Courthouse District.

A final draft of the ordinance was given to supervisors Tuesday afternoon. The measure would:

1) Prevent anything from being built on a “protected mountain ridge.”

Defined as 2,000 feet or higher in elevation and also above 500 feet on an adjacent valley floor.

2) Nothing taller than 40 feet can be built

3) If any portion of privately owned real estate is on a “protected mountain ridge”

“I think this will help protect the natural beauty of the county, preserve the ridges,” said Clinger.

A public hearing on the potential ridge line ordinance is scheduled for January 31st, but supervisors do not expect much if any opposition.

[video available]