April 12, 2013, By Ken de la Bastide, Tribune enterprise editor, kokomotribune.comApril 12, 2013, By Ken de la Bastide, Tribune enterprise editor, kokomotribune.com
Kempton – Not only does the Tipton County Citizens for Responsible Development want to stop the proposed Prairie Breeze Wind Farm, its goal is to stop development of wind farms in the county.
CRD was formed in January to oppose the planned $300 million project by juwi Wind to place 94 wind turbines in Prairie and Liberty townships.
Mark Lynn said the key results obtained by CRD were the Tipton County Board of Zoning Appeals placement of conditions on the Prairie Breeze permit of a 1,500 foot setback from property lines and development of a property value guarantee.
Those two conditions could make future wind farm development in the county impossible, or difficult at best, he said.
The moratorium on new wind farm applications through Oct. 1 or until the county’s wind ordinance is amended approved by the county commissioners on Monday came as a surprise, he said.
With Tipton County considering adoption of a new comprehensive plan, Lynn said changes in the plan will have an impact on the wind energy ordinance.
“It sets the rules going forward for wind energy development in Tipton County,” Lynn said.
Commissioner Joe VanBibber, who attended the meeting, said the comprehensive plan should be finalized before the county’s wind ordinance is amended.
“It would be putting the cart before the horse,” he said.
West said the area around Kempton is protected by the moratorium on new wind farm applications.
“We need to stop the wind companies,” he said. “We want to keep this out in the open.”
CRD will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Windfall Community Center. Windfall is on the western edge of the Wildcat Wind Farm constructed last year by E.ON Climate & Renewables.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/04/12/anti-wind-group-focuses-on-comprehensive-plan-goal-is-no-more-wind-farms/