June 4, 2021
Iowa

Public hearing set for drafted wind ordinance in Worth County

Zachary Dupont | Globe Gazette | Jun 3, 2021 | globegazette.com

The Worth County Planning and Zoning Commission came to a decision Wednesday night to set a date for a public hearing of their drafted wind ordinance.

The public hearing date is set for 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16, at the Kensett Community Center. There, members of the Worth County community can give feedback on the drafted wind ordinance to the planning and zoning commission.

Following the public hearing, the planning and zoning commission will consider the public feedback and potentially make any changes before presenting the Worth County Board of Supervisors with a recommendation.

The planning and zoning commission hopes to present the board of supervisors with their wind ordinance recommendation in July.

Discussions for a wind turbine ordinance for Worth County began as a result of Invenergy’s Worthwhile Wind project, which looks to establish a 30,000-acre wind farm in the county.

Opponents to the Worthwhile Wind have raised concerns over the adverse effects of wind turbines, such as safety, noise and flicker. Proponents of the project point to the $4.8 million in tax revenue the county would receive for infrastructure improvements while also highlighting that nobody had issues with the wind turbines until recently.

The drafted wind ordinance looks to regulate things such as setback, flicker, noise and more for non-participating landowners.

The drafted wind ordinance is available online via worthcountyiowa.gov, and those who cannot attend the public hearing can send in concerns or recommendations to the planning and zoning commission via email at zoning@worthcounty.org. Comments sent via email should be sent no later than 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2021/06/04/public-hearing-set-for-drafted-wind-ordinance-in-worth-county/