Tipton County gets new wind ordinance; Compromise agreement approved

TIPTON — The Tipton County Plan Commission has approved a new ordinance that will regulate the development of wind farms in the future.After months of discussing changes to the county’s existing wind ordinance, plan commission members voted Wednesday to recommend the amended wind ordinance to the Tipton County Commissioners.

The approved ordinance comes after an Ad Hoc committee of opponents and proponents of wind energy worked out compromises on several issues concerning setbacks, noise, shadow flicker and lighting. Before voting to adopt the compromise agreement, plan commission members rejected a proposal to change the setback requirements and deadlocked on a proposal to limit turbine height to 140 feet, as done in Marshall County. Plan commission members voted to change the procedure for future wind farm developments in the county. Currently, the Board of Zoning Appeals has to grant a conditional use permit. The new ordinance will create overlay districts where wind farms may be built.

Developers will have to request rezoning from the plan commission for the placement of a wind farm using the new setback requirements of 1,500 feet from property lines and 2,640 feet from residential dwellings. Wind companies, if granted approval of the overlay district by the plan commission and board of commissioners, can petition the BZA for a variance to lower the setback requirements.