Opinions
The Douglas County Board tonight has an opportunity to get ahead of both eventualities. Supervisors will consider enactment of a 120-day moratorium. They should advance the measure, which will provide everyone with enough time to thoroughly assess opportunities and challenges affiliated with the increasingly popular alternative.
We're currently in a period similar to the one that emerged when cellular telephones were in their infancy.
Explosive cell phone demand quickly jumped ahead of government's ability to address tower construction. The result was bitter fighting among those who wanted the new technology and those who felt the towers and their antennas were an eyesore that spewed health-threatening microwave frequencies.
Windmills likely will be perceived more favorably as energy prices burn holes in our pockets; still, some people are concerned they're an ugly visual distraction that generates noise and threatens birds.
Now is the time to formulate guidelines - before any specific commercial proposals are on the table.
If the moratorium is enacted, Douglas County Board committees will review the matter and formulate regulations. Now is the time for concerned parties to speak up. Citizen input will be key to creating mutually acceptable zoning codes.
Once regulations are enacted, they must be enforced. Anyone who objects to an objectionable windmill at that point is likely to be disappointed at the outcome.
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