GRAND LEDGE - Currently, there are no wind turbines generating electricity in Grand Ledge, and there are none planned.

But, when and if someone decides to build one, the city plans to be ready.

"The primary reason the Planning Commission wanted to proceed was to have something in place to protect the public should somebody choose to put in a wind conversion device," said Grand Ledge Mayor Kalmin Smith.

"If we do not have any ordinance at all, it opens the door to all kinds of contraptions that could be unsightly or noisy or provide a flickering effect. You wouldn't want a 100 foot tower in your neighbor's back yard."

Once an ordinance has been adopted, Smith said it can be amended.
The city planning commission drafted an ordinance and on Aug. 9 sent it to the city council for approval.

As drafted, the ordinance would prohibit "wind energy conversion systems" in any residential area, and in other parts of the city such systems could only produce enough power for use on the site.

The ordinance also limits height to 50 feet in commercial areas and 60 feet in industrial districts, and noise levels to 60 decibels at the property line.
At the public hearing on the proposed ordinance on Sept. 28, at least one city resident told the city council these limits are too restrictive.

Rachel Kuntzsch told the council that citizens in residential areas should be able to capture wind energy, and sees no reason to limit the amount of power generated, since current state law allows users to sell any surplus electricity back to power companies.

She also asked the council to allow greater height limits.

The city council discussed the state law allowing the sale of energy back to the energy grid, the probability of residential users selling energy back to the energy grid, future technology possibilities, existing State guidelines and model policies, and the planning commission's intent to adopt regulations and then amend them as necessary.

Council normally votes on ordinances at the next meeting following a public hearing, said City Clerk Gregory Newman, which would put a formal vote on the wind turbine ordinance Oct. 12.

At that time, "We may adopt it, we may amend it, we may send it back to the planning commission," said Smith.