Commission opposes wind turbine proposal

UNION TWP. - A tri-county advisory board denied the second proposal from township residents outlining distance restrictions for wind turbines Wednesday.

The Logan-Union-Champaign Region Planning Commission - based in East Liberty - reviewed the proposal, which had been passed on from the Union Township Zoning Commission last week for review.

The LUC recommended the township zoning commission deny the proposal by Union Neighbors United - the group of township residents opposed to the turbines without more regulations.

"We want to establish fair and balanced zoning, which allows wind power in Union Twp. while protecting neighbors and preserving the scenic beauty of Union Twp.," Julia Johnson of Union Neighbors United said in a release.

The LUC also recommended the township wait for recommendations of model zoning language that the LUC will get from the Logan County Wind Turbine Committee, LUC Planner Wes Dodds said.

No timeline for the completion of the language has been laid out, but the LUC hopes it will be available by the end of the year, he said.

In August, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland announced EverPower Renewables would receive a grant of up to $3 million to proceed with its Buckeye Wind project that runs through Union and Wayne townships in Champaign County and continues into Logan County.

The project is scheduled for completion June 30, 2009.

Opponents to the turbines have expressed concerns about the health risk of the shadows caused by the wind towers and the nuisance of the sound they make.

The Union Township Zoning Commission will have a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 in the auditorium of the Champaign County Community Center about the Union Neighbors United proposal.

A limited number of attendees will be given a limited amount of time to speak on the issue, according to a release from commission secretary Ken Davis.