Planning commission denies Bluestem proposal

County planners voted unanimously Nov. 19 to recommend denying Bluestem Energy Solution’s request for a conditional use permit to build a four-tower wind energy project south of Interstate 80.

After reviewing the application in detail and considering input from an October public hearing which drew strong opposition to the proposal, planners cited a number of reasons for denying the request. The recommendation to county board members will include one specific finding of fact, citing a Wichita State University study which planners say confirmed their concerns that property values for neighboring landowners would be negatively impacted by a wind farm.

The unanimous vote to deny the conditional use permit will now be passed on to the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors. Jeremy Brandt, the county’s planning and zoning administrator, reported that he expects Bluestem’s request to be on the county board agenda soon, perhaps as early as mid-December.

Editor’s note: A more detailed story will be published in this week's print or online editions. Also watch for a related story as an attorney representing Bluestem Energy Solutions reported after the meeting that his client was not only disappointed with the commission’s recommendation, but that allowing citizen input during what was not advertised as a public hearing or listed on the posted agenda may have been a violation of the state’s open meetings law. This week's edition also includes a report on Preserving Hamilton County Horizons, a new local grassroots organization working to change the county's existing regulations regarding wind farms.