September 9, 2011
Indiana

BZA slates Hobart wind turbine hearing

By Deborah Laverty, www.nwitimes.com 9 September 2011

HOBART | The Board of Zoning Appeals on Thursday set an Oct. 13 public hearing for a local farmer’s plans to operate two wind turbines on his property.

Rob Hefner of AB Wind Power represented farmer Louis Mikolics who wasn’t at the meeting.

Hefner said initial plans were to just have one wind turbine at 6716 Colorado St.

But, because Mikolics has two meters at the site, he is eligible to have two wind turbines on the nearly 100-acre farm.

The wind turbines, which harness wind power for electricity, would be 172 feet tall.

The turbines, which would be a lattice tower design, would be approximately 700 feet apart, Hefner said.

“Both turbines would feed into one transformer,” Hefner said.

He said the location on Mikolics farm is ideal for the wind turbines because the closest neighbor is more than 1,000 feet away.

Mikolics, a longtime farmer, told planners at a previous meeting he is hoping to operate what would be the first wind turbine of its kind in Hobart.

City Planner A.J. Bytnar confirmed that if the turbines are approved they would be the first in the city.

The plans, if approved by the BZA, would then also go before the City Council for its approval, Bytnar said. He told Hefner to bring drawings of the wind turbines to the public hearing along with pertinent information.

Hefner said wind turbine plans also would have to to receive Federal Aviation Administration approval.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/09/09/bza-slates-hobart-wind-turbine-hearing/