July 25, 2011
Wisconsin

Caledonia couple’s windmill plans halted

Kimber Solana, www.journaltimes.com 25 July 2011

CALEDONIA – A couple will temporarily halt their plans to build a 54-foot-tall windmill after deciding to not seek an overturn of last month’s rejection of their project by the village’s Board of Appeals.

Instead, Kristie and David Zahn, at 5438 Short Road, said they will just wait for the state to establish regulations that would make it easier for residents to build solar and wind energy systems, which could come as early as the end of the year.

“It’s unfortunate that efforts to reduce our dependency on We Energies (and) fossil fuels (were) met with politics and short-term financially based decision making,” said Kristie Zahn on Monday.

Citing concerns including noise and possibly decreasing neighbors’ property and home values, the Board of Appeals in June denied the Zahns’ plan to erect the $10,000 windmill on their property. The Zahns had filed the appeal with the board after their permit to build was denied. The proposed area is designated as residential, which doesn’t allow turbines, considered a small energy facility.

Zahn and her husband David could have pursued legal action, or filed an appeal with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, in hopes that the independent agency responsible for the regulation of the state’s public utilities may overturn the board’s decision.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/07/25/caledonia-couples-windmill-plans-halted/