January 12, 2007
Virginia
Virginia
According to a survey in Patrick County, 73.3 percent of responders support a permanent ban on tall structures in the county, a ban that may be put into place next month.
About 14,500 real estate tax bills were sent out in September along with the survey questions, according to officials at the Patrick County administrator’s office.
The Patrick County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 in September to approve a new ordinance that “prohibits the erection of structures over 100 feet tall,” thus keeping wind turbines from being built in the county for at least six months.
According to Mike Burnette, assistant administrator for the county, 4,857 surveys were returned, making the response rate about 33.5 percent.
Out of those responding, 3,582 support a ban, 1,275 do not support it.
In the September vote, Blue Ridge District Supervisor Roger Martin was the dissenter. He has maintained landowners should be able to decide if they want wind turbines built on their property.
That structure height ordinance included a “sunset clause,” meaning at the end of six months, the board would have to either let the issue drop or make the ban permanent.
The board will hold a public meeting Feb. 12 to consider amending the ordinance by taking out that clause and making the ban permanent, said Burnette.
Before September, the board had voted three times for emergency ordinances that lasted 60 days.
By Kathrin Klenshteyn
Bulletin Staff Writer
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/01/12/patrick-county-may-ban-tall-structures-move-aimed-at-keeping-out-wind-turbines/