REHOBOTH - Voters at the April town meeting will be asked to approve the town's first wind turbine bylaw.

The bylaw would regulate the construction and operation of wind turbines and provide standards for placement, design, monitoring, removal and other specifications. It also is designed to address public safety issues and minimize the impact on scenic, natural and historic resources.

The main reason for creating the bylaw is that there are no regulations or guidelines for construction of a wind turbine in town.

"Now, without the bylaw, anyone who wants to put up a tower on their residence could go to the building inspector, request a permit and get it approved. There's no regulation that will govern it," said Mike Costello, chairman of the ad-hoc wind turbine committee that created the bylaw.

"With the bylaw, there will be regulations to protect the person putting up the wind turbine as well as the person living next door," he said. The bylaw puts limits on the tower height of different types of turbines and limits on energy output, Costello said. It also requires owners to obtain special permits as well as building permits for large-scale wind facilities.

The bylaw covers both residential and commercial facilities and defines set-back distances from the nearest property line and public road. Costello says it mimics a state bylaw already in place, but a local bylaw is needed to address Rehoboth concerns.

"I think it's a great thing for Rehoboth," he said. "It protects the citizens a lot more than if we didn't have the bylaw. It's also something we need to become a 'green community,' which will help us pursue grants and loans available for renewable energy projects."

Copies of the proposed bylaw can be obtained at the town planner's office.