Beaver Township in Michigan adopted this protective wind ordinance by a 4-0 vote. A portion of the ordinance is provided below. The full document can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.
Beaver Township in Michigan adopted this protective wind ordinance by a 4-0 vote. A portion of the ordinance is provided below. The full document can be accessed by clicking the links on this page.
Utility-Scale Wind Grid Energy Conversion System Standards (Excerpt)
The following standards shall apply to Utility-Scale WECS, including Anemometer Towers, in addition to the general Special Use Requirements of Chapter XI of this Ordinance:
1. Height. The maximum height of any Utility-Scale WECS is 500 feet. The height of a WECS is measured from the average grade at the base of the pole to the highest point of the WECS when a blade is in its vertical orientation.
2. Setbacks. A distance equal to four times the height of the tower to the tip of the blade in its vertical position shall be maintained from all nonparticipating single parcel property lines for WECS on a single parcel, or from lease unit boundary lines for WECS on a lease unit, public roads, and communication or electrical lines. The Planning Commission may approve a lesser setback upon a showing that no useful purpose would be served by strict enforcement, but may not, in any case, approve a setback less than two and one-half times the height of the tower as described and measured, above. Operations and maintenance office building, a substation, or ancillary equipment shall be setback a minimum of 50 feet from all single parcel property lines, or from lease unit boundary lines, and overhead transmission lines power poles.
7. Sound Pressure Level. Utility-Scale WECS shall not exceed 45 dB(A) max (L ) or 55 dB(C) (L ) at the property line or lease unit boundary closest to the WECS and as measured at residences outside the property line or lease unit boundary. This sound pressure level may only be exceeded during short term events such as utility outages and/or severe wind storms. If the ambient sound pressure level with the WECS not in operation exceeds 45 dB(A) or 55 dB(C), the standard shall be ambient sound pressure level plus five (5) for dB(A) or dB(C), respectively.
11. Shadow Flicker. Site plan and other documents and drawings shall show mitigation measures to eliminate potential impacts from shadow flicker, as identified in the Shadow Flicker Impact Analysis. Measures to eliminate all effects of shadow flicker on all nonparticipating single parcels beginning at the property lines, such as programming the WECS to stop rotating during times when shadow crosses occupied structures, may be required.
