A few people interested in placing wind turbines within Austin's city limits have led to a 120-day moratorium on that kind of construction.

Austin City Council members unanimously approved Monday an ordinance prohibiting the issuance of permits for constructing wind turbines used for generating electricity.

The moratorium will give the time needed for city staff to finalize a draft ordinance establishing specific development standards for constructing such towers.

A draft ordinance could be brought to the council any time during the 120-day period, said city attorney David Hoversten.

Craig Hoium, the city's community development director, told the council the planning and zoning department has had discussions with people regarding to the placement of wind towers within the city.

Those proposed towers would be much smaller than those that dot eastern Mower County, Hoium said after the council meeting.

City staff members have received model ordinances from the League of Minnesota Cities that provide development standards for various zoning districts that allow for constructing the towers, according to city documents.

Under the city's telecommunications ordinance, a tower more than 75 feet tall needs to have a conditional-use permit, which would require a hearing before the city planning commission, Hoium said. The wind towers discussed for placement within the city would be higher than that, including a roughly 150-foot-high tower in a residential district, he said.

That residential area is in southwest Austin and relatively close to the community's center core, Hoium said. The other proposed tower area is along Fourth Street Northwest on commercial property, he said.

Hoium declined to specify the locations of those proposed towers because plans haven't yet come before the planning commission.

What happened: The Austin City Council placed a 120-day moratorium on construction of towers for wind turbines.

What comes next: An ordinance governing where towers can be built within city limits will be drafted for the council's review.

Why it matters: Wind power is a strong and growing industry in Mower County, and people are interested in developing this form of "green energy."