filed: February 1, 2012 • Virginia

Floyd County debates wind turbines

Credit: By: Morgan Donnelly | WSLS | www2.wsls.com 31 January 2012 ~~

The auditorium of Floyd County High School was packed with people ready to voice their opinions on a height ordinance; barring 40 foot structures along the ridgeline, including wind turbines. We took some concerns and research results about wind turbines to board of supervisor Virgel Allen. One was, some say the wind turbines are not cost effective.

“I have heard that but I do not know to be the truth. There is a lot of research that needs to be done,” says Allen.

Some wind farms have hundreds of turbines, and we asked Allen if turbines were allowed would that be the case here in Floyd.

“Well I have heard that it would be possibility of 20 something coming in and I don’t know that to be a fact,” says Allen.

Many people including Dave Dixon believe wind turbines are a bad idea.

“Floyd County has majestic ridge lines, its tourism was built on majestic ridge lines and to allow them to allow destruction of one ridge in this particular case with the windmills will just destroy it,” says Dixon.

Others, like Stanley Davis, disagree.

“My wife and I would like to have a windmill for our own and we have a hill we would like to put one,” says Davis.

Jim Woltz, with Woltz Real Estate, worries a ban on structures prevent building silos and barns.

“They didn’t ask for an ordinance that would take property rights away. I am not for the windmills but I am for property rights,” says Woltz.

With no decision made at the hearing, wind turbines will continue to be the talk of the town.

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