NORTHFIELD - It's one step forward, two steps back for the Greenvale Wind Farm.

The two local companies behind the development of a proposed wind farm have asked to temporarily halt any further action on the 11-megawatt project located in Greenvale Township.

In an Oct. 14 letter to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Sparks Energy and Medin Renewable Energy, the two companies behind the development of the proposed wind farm, say they need more time to listen and respond to residents' concerns about the development.

Based on the feedback returned to the companies during the project's 180-day comment period, which ended on Oct. 7, it was clear township residents still had a number of reservations about the wind farm plans, said Sparks Energy CEO Anna Schmalzbauer.

Many of the complaints centered around the precise placement the turbines, and the distance of those turbines' setbacks from homes, according to Schmalzbauer.

The companies are now re-examining the preliminary placement, number and size of the turbines in the proposed wind farm, and may revise the plan to accommodate residents' concerns. The halt should also give area residents a little breathing room to become more informed about the project, Schmalzbauer added.

Schmalzbauer isn't sure how long it will take to get the project back on track.

"We heard loud and clear that the community thought this process was moving too fast," Schmalzbauer said. "We clearly want to move the project on as soon as possible and as quickly as possible, but we're going to take the time to get people information."

If the proposed wind farm's footprint or scale changes significantly as a result of any revisions, the wind farm's draft permit application will have to be resubmitted to the PUC for evaluation, said Deborah Pile, an energy facility permitting supervisor with the Minnesota Office of Energy Security. Another 180-day public comment period and a second public meeting would have to be held to re-inform the public, Pile added.

"If it's not the same project, we'll have to get some more comments on it," Pile said.