It sets parameters for permitting, installation and potential abandonment. For instance, setbacks will be based upon a wind tower's height. Those 35 feet tall or shorter will be held to general township setback requirements, while those 35 to 70 feel tall will require a setback twice the township standard. Systems 105 to 120 feet will need a setback four times the township standard.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

"This limitation effectively limits the application of bill to two counties, Cumberland and Salem, because they are sparsely populated and are not contiguous to any counties with a high population density."

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

The proposed ordinance goes on to state that the maximum height of the windmill can be 40 feet and requires a setback of 100 feet from the property line.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

Blades from the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority's (BRSA) proposed 380-foot-tall wind turbine will not be spinning come January 2011. The Union Beach Planning Board unanimously voted down an application to realign the BRSA's property line to provide more room for the turbine's 118-foot-long blades at a meeting on Dec. 8.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

Officials from the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority (BRSA) submitted an application to the Union Beach Planning Board seeking a variance to consolidate two lots owned by Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) that abut the sewerage plant's property in the borough to provide clearance for the turbine, which is expected to be completed by January.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

with a smart statewide plan." The senator said that while he voted for legislation to offer millions in tax breaks to encourage building wind farms off the Jersey Shore, "I don't think we should be putting these (turbines) right in the middle of residential developments.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

The new law, while encouraging wind turbines, solar energy panels and geothermal heating and cooling systems, will regulate the construction of what officials said could be "potentially intrusive facilities" in the township. "If someone puts a solar panel in, it may work very well for that homeowner but there could be various problems with its looks or even with glare."

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

After repurposing residential wind turbine regulations proposed by the Environmental Commission, the Planning Board has created a draft ordinance for non-residential properties that is pending Township Council review.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

An expected trend derived from the recent unveiling of a wind turbine at the University of Delaware has the City Council drafting new regulations into its code. A moratorium has been imposed on the issuance of any permits or licenses for wind turbines while an ordinance is drafted. The suspension will run until April 11, 2011, unless lifted by the council.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

"We are hiring someone with expertise who can help us in reformulating this ordinance that will be beneficial for all of the taxpayers," Vergano said. The question of where turbines should be allowed has sparked an ongoing controversy since Robert Burke, owner of the Wayne Auto Spa, sought Planning Board approval to install a turbine at his Hamburg Turnpike quick lube and carwash. His proposal was met with fierce opposition by alarmed residents who say the turbine would be noisy, fling ice from its blades and have other potentially negative health impacts.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

Imagine energy-generating wind turbines spinning along the ridgeline on top of Jugtown Mountain -- or in any back yard in the township. The Planning Board doesn't anticipate an onslaught of applications soon, but it wants to be prepared. It's on the verge of drafting an ordinance that would regulate the height of a turbine, how far it would have to be located from a neighbor's property and how noisy it can be, among other details.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

Michael Mercurio is waiting out the spring winds to meet the obligations of an agreement he made with the township to remove a wind turbine on his West Indiana Avenue property. Long Beach Township's master plan prohibits windmills in the township, declaring them "not appropriate for this municipality" for safety reasons. "We passed an ordinance against them because they don't work on small lots," Mayor Joseph Mancini said.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

The owner of the Wayne Auto Spa, who sparked controversy in proposing a wind turbine at his business, wants a judge to overturn new township zoning rules that prohibit the project. The Township Council adopted a zoning ordinance in September that bans wind turbines within 1,640 feet of residential neighborhoods, schools or day-care centers. ...Burke argues in court papers that the township should not be allowed to frustrate state policy objectives that promote the use of wind and other renewable energy sources.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

The minty ring of "live green" can look easy. But it's about more than recycling and taking one's tote bag to the grocer's. Trying to live green in New Jersey collides, environmentalists said Friday, with a warren of real-world twists and turns that make it harder than it looks.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

Residents won't be seeing wind turbines going up close to their homes under new zoning rules adopted this week. The Township Council unanimously adopted the measure after a heated debate Wednesday night ...The new rules ban turbines within 1,640 feet - 500 meters - of residential neighborhoods, schools or day care centers. Council members approved the measure after defending their green credentials and saying they would not be intimated by threats of litigation.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

The Township Council is setting rules for wind turbines that would keep the alternative-energy sources far away from residential neighborhoods. It is set to hold a public hearing and vote to adopt an ordinance Wednesday that would restrict turbines within 1,640 feet of residential neighborhoods, schools or day care centers. The distance was based on studies that suggest separating turbines from housing because of noise and other potential health side effects, according to township officials.

Zoning/Planning New Jersey

A state panel evaluating proposals for an offshore wind turbine pilot project will have until Oct. 2 instead of Aug. 20 to make a recommendation to the state Board of Public Utilities. The panel needs more time to evaluate five companies' proposals, some of which are "large, extensive," Doyal H. Siddell, a BPU spokesman, said Thursday. But the six-week delay did not sit well with two observers.

Energy Policy Zoning/Planning New Jersey

The proposals, which envision the construction of up to 116 wind turbines rising hundreds of feet above the water, would help the Corzine administration reach ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gases, while shifting electricity production to cleaner sources of energy, such as wind and solar power. It is a big bet. With project costs running upwards of $1 billion, the projects need to overcome numerous environmental and economic hurdles at a time when the commercial feasibility of wind power remains a question, industry analysts said. There are no off-shore wind farms operating in the United States, and several projects, including one off Jones Beach in Long Island, have been canceled because of high costs.

Energy Policy Zoning/Planning New Jersey

Township Committee officials unanimously approved an ordinance Wednesday that will allow the use of windmills to generate renewable power in environmentally safe ways in specific regions of the township. ...The minimum 10-acre lot size prevents the windmills from being built in residential neighborhoods, said Committeeman Paul Drake, who initiated the plan. However, the 10-acre minimum, which drew opposition by some residents during Wednesday's public hearing, is a "bulk standard" that the Planning Board can consider allowing a variance for smaller lots if it makes sense, he said. ...The revised ordinance now indicates a Wildlife Habitat Assessment report must be prepared by the applicant, specifically addressing wildlife habitat affected by the installation of a windmill.

General Zoning/Planning New Jersey

In November, municipal officials tabled the introduction of a windmill-related ordinance after a member of the Sourland Mountain Planning Council voiced concerns about the impact of the windmills on some endangered species and plants in the region. While Steve Bales, also a township resident, is a proponent of renewable energy, he asked Township Committee members to amend the language of the ordinance to reflect better ways to preserve the Sourland Mountain region. Council members did just that and introduced a new version of the ordinance Tuesday. The measure is up for public review and a possible vote Dec. 26. ..."I do have a concern over the setback," said Laura Burshnic, a township resident. "I think 180 feet is just a little too close. I wouldn't want to look out my window and see that. It would be an eyesore." The Township Committee then changed the ordinance to reflect a windmill having a 250-foot setback from property lines, easements or utility lines.

Impact on People Impact on Landscape Zoning/Planning New Jersey