July 10, 2007
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
The Glenmore Plan Commission tonight will discuss residents’ suggested changes to the town’s wind ordinance.
The meeting is a continuation of the June 5 meeting at which residents were given free rein to suggest changes to the town’s wind-energy ordinance, which was adopted in late 2006.
Public testimony won’t be taken at tonight’s meeting, however. Residents instead will be allowed to write comments on index cards provided by the town.
Town Clerk Lana Ossmann said the Town Board likely will wait until its August meeting to decide when to set a public hearing on the changes.
The 2006 Glenmore wind ordinance establishes among other things:
# States that large wind-energy systems, such as the 15 planned for Glenmore, may be placed only on land zoned agricultural
# Establishes minimum setback distances from structures, roads, property lines, electrical lines and communication lines
# Specifies one acre of land per wind tower
# Mandates that turbine blades never be less than 30 feet above the ground
# States that towers not be artificially lighted unless required by the FAA or other authority, not be printed with words or graphics other than warnings, and, if painted, be of a neutral color “to reduce visual obtrusiveness”
# Delineates ways in which turbine owners should maintain the turbines .
The Plan Commission will discuss some of the changes suggested last month by residents. Those suggestions include:
# Making landowners with turbines on their property responsible for the turbines in the event the turbine company fails to do so
# Having stray-voltage testing be done by an independent firm
# Permitting town officials to inspect turbines with a 12- or 24-hour notice, rather than a 72-hour notice
# Putting a limit on the number of wind turbines Glenmore should have
# Clarifying the wording in the ordinance to make it clear that future structures are not bound by the 1,000-foot setback
# Providing guidelines for noise-level testing.
By Lee Reinsch
10 July 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/07/10/glenmore-continues-to-study-wind-ordinance/