March 7, 2011
Illinois

Small wind facilities focus of county ordinance

By John Roszkowski, Lake County News-Sun, newssun.suntimes.com 7 March 2011

Lake County Board members are expected to vote March 15 on a new wind energy ordinance for unincorporated areas of the county, but large commercial wind farms will not be part of the discussion.

In February, the board decided against allowing large facilities such as wind farms in the county and to instead focus on smaller wind energy facilities.

Over the past year, county staff have been working with the Regional Plan Commission, the county’s Zoning Board of Appeals and the County Board’s Planning, Building and Zoning Committee on drafting a wind energy ordinance for unincorporated areas.

The original draft by the Regional Plan Commission established regulations governing both large and small wind energy facilities.

But many County Board members felt large wind turbines – generally considered between 400 to 500 feet tall – were not appropriate in the county.

Board Chairman David Stolman of Buffalo Grove said while large wind farms are common in agricultural counties downstate, the board did not feel large wind facilities were right for Lake County because of its more dense population.

The proposed ordinance would allow smaller wind energy facilities, including building-mounted and tower-mounted turbines, of up to 175 feet in height as an accessory use to residential or non-residential uses.

Senior planner David Husemoller said the County board is considering an amendment that would increase the maximum allowable height for a small wind energy facility to 200 feet.

The County Board’s decision to exclude large wind facilities from the ordinance could negatively impact one applicant’s plan to build a wind farm in northern Lake County.

Sexton Wind Power of Bannockburn has proposed building a wind farm with 10 large turbines on approximately 380 acres of unincorporated land east of Interstate 94 near Russell Road.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/07/small-wind-facilities-focus-of-county-ordinance/