February 18, 2021
Illinois

Ford County zoning committee continues work on wind farm ordinance

By Carol Thilmony | Ford County Record | February 17, 2021 | www.newsbug.info

The zoning committee of the Ford County Board continues to clean up language at the direction of State’s Attorney Andrew Killian in its revised wind farm ordinance. The idea is to place the completed ordinance before the entire board before its regular March monthly meeting. Chair Ann Ihrke said the committee will next meet Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. in the board’s meeting room at the jail to continue its work.

The committee proposed that any cannabis dispensaries with or without onsite consumption be limited to a total of three in the unincorporated area of the county. They would need to be no closer than 1000 feet to a school, daycare or any facility where people under 21 congregate.

These restrictions would be addressed in the county zoning ordinance and Ihrke said to do that would probably require a public hearing with the zoning board of appeals. It is likely that operators, including craft growers, will have to apply for a special or conditional use permit for such activities.

Ihrke said setback recommendations will not be changed before the board sees the entire document to vote on it. As currently proposed, a turbine must be placed at least 2250 feet from the property line where a primary residence sits and 1320 feet from a property line without such a building. And the recommendation for the maximum height of a turbine is 500 feet.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2021/02/18/ford-county-zoning-committee-continues-work-on-wind-farm-ordinance/