June 26, 2018
Michigan

Wind turbine talk divides Monitor Township residents

By Courtney Wheaton | WEYI | nbc25news.com

MONITOR, TOWNSHIP– Monitor Township is home to 10,000 residents and odds are nine 9,999 of them are talking about wind turbines.

One of them longtime resident, Sherman Little.

“We don’t want them they are loud and distracting,” said Little.

For the past year DTE Energy out of Detroit has expressed interest in wind development in the region and sent NBC25 this statement.

“DTE has been working with landowners in Bay County for the past year acquiring easements, and the response has been positive. In addition to payments to landowners, wind projects bring economic benefits such as job creation and a new source of tax revenue.

Little is a home appraiser and says otherwise.

” Properties can lose all their value.” said Little.

That isn’t Little’s only concern. Recently the township’s planning commission has met to discuss outdated zoning ordinances , a small portion of them related to wind turbines that was last updated in 2009.

Little believes the community is being left out of the process.

“It was in the Valley Farmer do you read the Valley Farmer?”

We went to the township supervisor, Kenneth Malkin to get answers.

“We probably could’ve done a better job with communication,” said Malkin.

When asked if he had any vested interest in wind turbines coming to the township, he replied “I wish DTE would just go home and get out.”

To show just where he stands on the issue he says at Monday’s meeting he’ll have a plan.

I’m going to ask for a moratorium and table this issue until we can make a new ordinance with the community’s involvement, ” said Malkin.

The board meeting to discuss this issue will take place on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Monitor Township Hall.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/06/26/wind-turbine-talk-divides-monitor-township-residents/