Work continues on crafting an ordinance relative to wind power generation even as the Lawrence County Planning and Zoning department hears more plans for wind turbines at locations around the county.  

In the last few months several landowners have approached the commission to tell them of plans to erect wind turbines to ease reliance on coal-generated power. But at that time, no ordinance existed that dealt specifically with wind turbines. So while landowners started jumping through the hoops set before them, county attorney Bruce Outka and planning and zoning director Amber Vogt began working on a draft ordinance that would address the turbines with regard to height, placement and noise.

At Thursday's planning and zoning commission meeting, two residents appeared before the commission and heard Outka and Vogt inform the commission they are still working on the ordinance, and would like to know how the commission wanted them to proceed.

"We've been looking at a couple of things, from Minnehaha and Meade counties, and we're hoping to have something in January," Vogt said. Commission chairman Rick Tysdal commented they would like to have a suggested set of rules by then.

Outka explained the approach they were taking. "We're thinking along the lines of this being like a building permit, or a conditional use permit, and we'll take any other input we can get," he said.

Commissioner Marty O'Dea took a different tack. "I think we should treat a wind turbine like an accessory, much like a shed. Anything under 35 feet should be classed as an accessory," he said. But Chairman Tysdal was unconvinced. "I can't stand to hear my air conditioner in the summer, so we need to address any noise issues as well," he said. But O'Dea wasn't finished.

The body decided to wait until Outka and Vogt had a chance to draft something everyone could live with.

In the meantime, Charles Brown, who lives outside of Deadwood, and has requested a wind turbine appeared before the commission to tell of any changes in his plan. Brown wants to install a 75-foot-tall wind turbine that he purchased in California. He told the commission he is ready to work with them. The commission approved his conditional use permit.

Not long after, Gary Zimbleman, who lives on the old Belle Road, told the commission basically the same thing. He wants to install a wind turbine on his property. "I've been researching this for 29 years. I think this is the way to go, and I think more and more people are going to want turbines," he said. The problem wit Zimbleman's plan is that his tower would hit his neighbor's properties if it fell, and the commission told him he needed to place it so no one would be impacted if it did fall. He owns two half acre lots, and it commissioners suggested he combine the lots into one so he would have more room. The commission assured Zimbleman they would be willing to help him with an ordinance that he could live with.