July 3, 2007
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
The Glenmore Town Board on Monday approved a Suamico developer’s plans to erect seven wind-power turbines.
The three-member board voted unanimously to issue Tom Mattson and Prelude LLC a 30-year conditional-use permit to build the 500-foot-tall turbines.
Earlier this year, the board approved permits for eight wind turbines to be erected by Emerging Energies/Shirley Wind LLC, a Hubertus company. The town is about halfway into a six-month moratorium on new wind projects, so construction hasn’t begun yet.
The board set forth more than a dozen stipulations on the Prelude project. Among them: Prelude will mitigate electromagnetic interference caused by its turbines, pay for cable television or satellite for residents whose TV reception is affected by the towers and put forth a $20,000-per-turbine letter of credit to the town for their removal if necessary.
“You are beautiful people. I’d never do anything against you,” Mattson told the board.
The permit will be reviewed every five years and is revocable should the project fail to comply with Glenmore’s requests.
Prelude will make annual payments of $4,000 per megawatt generated to the town and owners of existing homes within a half-mile radius, with the town receiving 60 percent and homeowners receiving 40 percent.
Each turbine is expected to put out 2.75 megawatts of power. But Mattson requested a clause stating that payments to residents could be renegotiated lower if the county imposes property taxes or other fees on the turbines.
Six of the turbines are to go on property owned by Mike and Sandra Zirbel, 6013 Morrison Road, with one on land owned by Dennis and Mary Zirbel, 2877 School Road.
The topic has been contentious for Glenmore. Some residents have expressed concerns about decreasing property values, stray voltage affecting children and animals, noise pollution, liability and what would happen if either of the wind energy companies went bankrupt and left the turbines standing.
By Lee Reinsch
3 July 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/07/03/glenmore-approves-second-wind-project/