December 7, 2019
Michigan

Sherwood passes wind turbine ordinance

By Don Reid | The Daily Reporter | Dec 6, 2019 | www.thedailyreporter.com

Two years after it started work, Sherwood Township has a wind turbine control ordinance. It passed 3-0 in a special meeting Thursday and will take place seven days after publication in the newspaper.

With a packed township hall there was little comment as those mostly interested in seeing the law passed watched.

Trustees Fred Haack and Majorie Whitcomb and Treasurer Dale Marie Brubaker each voted “yes.”

Supervisor James Smith and Clerk Denise Smith, his mother, were not present.

The Township Attorney Catherine Kaufman directed them not to participate based on a conflict of interest. Both had signed leases with DTE to use land for wind turbines.

The ordinance requires a special land use permit for commercial wind turbines. There are setbacks, height restrictions, noise restrictions and blade flicker requirements.

Those opposed can now use a petition provision in the state zoning laws to require a vote on the ordinance if they can obtain enough signatures.

Sherwood is the first township in Branch County to pass a wind turbine control ordinance amendment to its zoning laws after DTE began signing leases in Sherwood, Batavia, Matteson, and Union townships. Union does not have zoning. Batavia and Matteson are still in planning commission review.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2019/12/07/sherwood-passes-wind-turbine-ordinance/