January 25, 2018
Michigan

Public input sought on turbine ban

Seth Stapleton, Tribune Staff Writer | Huron Daily Tribune | Thursday, January 25, 2018 | www.michigansthumb.com

BAD AXE – A public hearing on a proposed wind development moratorium extension will take place at the Huron County Planning Commission’s regular meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 7 in the Huron County District Courtroom.

The meeting will be conducted to receive comments on a zoning ordinance text amendment. The purpose of the text amendment is:

“To extend the moratorium upon the issuance of any and all permits, licenses and approvals for any property subject to or under the jurisdiction of the County’s Zoning Ordinance for the establishment and use of Wind Energy Systems for one year or until the County has completed revisions to the master plan and has more definitive answers to the many issues related to the long term operation of large scale Wind Energy Systems, whichever occurs first,” according to the public hearing notice.

The 16 county-zoned townships are: Bingham, Bloomfield, Brookfield, Dwight, Fairhaven, Gore, Grant, Hume, Lincoln, McKinley, Rubicon, Sebewaing, Sheridan, Sherman, Sigel and Winsor townships.

Last year, voters turned down two wind overlay districts in several townships, and two townships – Lincoln and Sherman – are in the process of becoming self zoned.

Earlier this year, the planning commission voted 7-2 to extend the moratorium for another year. Planners Bernie Creguer and Jeffrey Krohn voted against the extension, and Carl Duda, Mary Babcock, Robert McLean, Terry Heck, Ken Walker, Charles Bumhoffer and Robert Oakes supported it.

County Corporation Counsel Stephen Allen worked on changing the moratorium language to reflect the past year’s issues that have emerged in terms of wind energy development.

At the Feb. 7 meeting, the public can give feedback on the changes.

After the planners give final approval to the moratorium, the Huron County Board of Commissioners must pass it as well.

The county currently has 472 operating turbines.

For those unable to attend the meeting, written comments will be accepted by mail at the Huron County Building and Zoning Department, 250 E. Huron Ave., Room 102, Bad Axe, MI, 48413; by fax to 989-269-3362; or by email to smithj@co.huron.mi.us.

More information describing the text amendment is available upon request by contacting the Huron County Building & Zoning Department and also on the web at www.co.huron.mi.us/.

The Huron County District Court, Room 105, is located in the Huron County Building, 250 E. Huron Ave. in Bad Axe.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/01/25/public-input-sought-on-turbine-ban/