Opponents of a proposed wind farm brought their experts to a courtroom-style hearing that lasted several hours Thursday night to try to prevent the wind farm's construction.

The Tazewell County Zoning Board of Appeals has been holding public hearings since April 1, getting public input on the proposed Rail Splitter Wind Farm by Houston-based Horizon Wind Energy LLC.

Luke Taylor of Delavan had attorney Chris Spanos file a motion April 9 that extended the hearing process, allowing Spanos to present experts to testify against the proposed wind farm.

Spanos presented an acoustical engineer from Michigan who said the wind towers would create noise that could affect nearby residents and a real estate appraiser who said property values near the farm could drop.

"These wind farm turbines surround the properties," said Michael McCann, a real estate appraiser from Chicago who said homes near the proposed farm could drop in value between 20 percent and 30 percent.

Supporters and opponents of the project that would cover more than 11,000 acres of farmland straddling Tazewell and Logan counties just east of Interstate 155 have voiced their opinions at each meeting.

Supporters say the project would bring much needed property tax revenue, jobs and a source of clean energy to the area. Opponents say the towers would be an eyesore, a dangerous obstacle to crop dusters and would lower property values.

Board members will consider testimony when they decide if the towers will receive construction permits.

The hearing Thursday quickly became a pseudo-courtroom, with a half dozen attorneys, several motions, cross examination and a steady flow of wind farm jargon.

As both sides quibbled about the minutia of documents and wind studies from other states, local residents still had concerns about their own properties and how they will be affected.

Rod Egli of Delavan said his home would be surrounded by 15 towers and asked acoustical engineer Richard James how that will affect it.

"There will be days when you have a problem," James said.

Another hearing is scheduled for May 15, when Horizon will bring in its own experts.

The towers would be 389 feet tall and the 67-tower project would bring 38 of them to Tazewell County.

Bill Whitlock, project development manager for the proposed farm, has said total cost of the project is expected to be between $175 million and $200 million.

The wind farm will sell energy to AmerenCILCO and will power about 30,000 homes in Illinois.

The project would be the second central Illinois wind farm development for Horizon, which operates the Twin Groves wind farm just east of Bloomington.