April 18, 2019
Pennsylvania

Hearing on Broad Mountain turbines is tonight

By Chris Reber | Times News | April 17, 2019 | www.tnonline.com

A company proposing 21 wind turbines on the Broad Mountain will appear before the Packer Township Zoning Hearing Board tonight.

A public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the Weatherly Area Middle School cafeteria to discuss the Broad Mountain Wind Project.

The proposed wind farm, located on the west side of Dennison Road, would include 21 turbines ranging between 450-656 feet in height; and four meteorological towers, each 418.5 feet tall.

The turbines would be located on property owned by Kovatch Enterprises, Inc. and Hazleton Electric, Inc.

The project is being built and operated by a subsidiary of Algonquin Power and Utilities Group, a multibillion dollar Canadian company which owns hydroelectric solar, and other renewable power facilities around the country.

The land where the project is proposed is located in the township’s A-1 Agricultural zoning district. The zoning hearing board must decide whether to approve a special exception to allow the developer to build a wind farm in the agricultural district.

The developer is also asking the board to approve variances from three rules in the township’s zoning ordinance – the most significant one is a request to use a gravel access road instead of a “durable, dust-free, all-weather surface” as the ordinance states.

Weatherly Area Middle School is located at 602 Sixth St. A second hearing is scheduled for April 30 if more testimony is needed.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2019/04/18/hearing-on-broad-mountain-turbines-is-tonight/