The commissioners did, however, address the topic of a signing a moratorium resolution, which would put the project on pause for 60 days. At last week’s meeting, it was requested by Will Eisenbise and Brad Lueger – two representatives for the concerned citizens group of Nemaha County – for the commissioners to give a response to the moratorium resolution in one week. Scoby said that the commission will not be making a decision on a moratorium yet.

Zoning/Planning Kansas

GIBSON CITY — The more-restrictive setbacks and other new regulations for wind farms currently under consideration by the Ford County Board could make it “extremely difficult, if not impossible,” for Apex Clean Energy to build its proposed 250-megawatt Ford Ridge Wind Farm in the Gibson City and Sibley areas, a company representative said Thursday. However, J.J. Stone, a project manager for the Charlottesville, Va.-based firm, said that even if the board approves the new rules, a smaller version of the wind farm could still be built.

Zoning/Planning Illinois

Commissioner Tom Murtaugh said an updated ordinance would put those worries to rest. "A change in the overall county ordinance that states that large wind systems will no longer be allowed in Tippecanoe County," he said. If passed landowners would still be able to put in wind turbines, it would just ban industrial wind farms.

Zoning/Planning Indiana

According to the decision filed Jan. 30, the board found that overall, Atlantic Wind failed to produce sufficient evidence and did not show that the project would comply with the Penn Forest Zoning Ordinance. The application sought to construct 28 nearly 600-foot-tall industrial wind turbines in the township.

Legal Zoning/Planning Pennsylvania

Terry Madson is from Nuckolls County and belongs to Preserve Rural Nebraska. His county in south-central Nebraska, he said, has no zoning, and some of those that do created zoning before anyone was thinking of wind turbines. Other county zoning may not have taken into consideration escalating tower heights, larger generators, more noise and shadow flicker because of size changes. The bill gives those counties and others in the state the chance to get current, Madson said. 

Zoning/Planning Nebraska

Representatives of a proposed electric generation project assured spectators Thursday evening that property values would not decrease and noise would not be a major issue. ...An audience member cited a report with a negative impact of 25 to 40 percent. Project opponent LeRoy Burk provided the report, which was reviewed by Neosho County Appraiser Bob McElroy, who said there would be an impact but he did not agree with a specific amount.

Zoning/Planning Kansas

With 10 of its 12 members present, the board voted 9-1 in favor of a proposal to restrict wind turbines from being built any closer than 2,250 feet from a property line. The measure, part of a larger package of ordinance revisions that will be up for approval once finalized, is designed to protect rural residents from the low-frequency noise and shadow flicker, among other nuisances, that turbines can create.

Zoning/Planning Illinois

Ford County Board members spent two hours Thursday debating how to protect rural residents living around wind farms from nuisances that can be caused by wind turbines, such as low-frequency noise and shadow flicker.

Zoning/Planning Illinois

Rath and others who are concerned about the Nebraska Public Power District's R Project power line and the wind farms that are popping up across the land — and the whooping cranes — have found a champion in the Nebraska Legislature. Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon has taken up their cause with proposed legislation and advocacy, working from his Capitol office in Lincoln. 

Impact on Birds Zoning/Planning Nebraska

Apex Clean Energy, the developer of the Neosho Ridge wind energy project, on Wednesday released a lengthy economic impact report. 

Zoning/Planning Kansas

The discussion on the proposed Neosho Ridge wind project filled the courtroom at the Neosho County courthouse to capacity, but was less dramatic than previous commission meetings. A representative of Apex Clean Energy, developers of the project, had 30 minutes to make a presentation, then a representative of non-participating landowners had 30 minutes to present the opponents’ concerns.

Zoning/Planning Kansas

The village board voted last month to send the resolution to the county board. The resolution states that the village opposes changes to the county’s wind-farm ordinance that were proposed on Nov. 1 by the county’s zoning board of appeals — in particular, those related to setbacks and turbine height limitations. The proposed changes are now being considered by the 12-member county board.

Zoning/Planning Illinois

Since Dec. 1, when four newcomers joined the 12-member board, the board has already met in special session once to discuss the proposed changes to the county’s ordinance regulating wind farms. A second special meeting was scheduled for Dec. 20 but ended up being canceled due to some confusion that arose about whether the meeting was to be attended by all board members or just those who serve on the board’s zoning committee, Lindgren said.

Zoning/Planning Illinois

Prior to the vote, the commission considered sending the matter back to planning and zoning, as requested by Pure New Energy USA ...“I think this has gone on long enough … I just don’t feel comfortable sending it back and creating more workload for our people,” said Commissioner Kathleen Jones, who made the motion to deny permits for the project.

Zoning/Planning North Dakota

Opponents of a planned wind generation facility in southwest Neosho County told commissioners Friday morning that the issue will go to court. They also pushed for an absent commissioner to vote on the measure. ...Some opponents said the developer, Apex Clean Energy, is moving ahead with the project until it is too late to prevent it.

Zoning/Planning Kansas

MONMOUTH — The Warren County Board narrowly approved motions Tuesday to allow permitting of a wind energy project along the McDonough County border.

Zoning/Planning Illinois

Ford County Board Chairman Bob Lindgren of rural Loda released a statement just hours before the meeting was to occur at the courthouse in Paxton, stating that the board will reschedule the meeting in January.

Zoning/Planning Illinois

Hounsfield Supervisor Timothy W. Scee, however, said during a Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency meeting Thursday that he scheduled a public hearing to rescind the law in January. He also said his town board plans to create a separate wind law with guidance from the county planning office. “That mishap was totally my responsibility,” Mr. Scee said.

Zoning/Planning New York

The Richland Town Board in November approved the measure, which places restrictions on wind turbine farms in the town based on factors including setback from properties, noise production, property value guarantees, environmental tests and decommissioning terms.

Zoning/Planning New York

Main said the Schultes had to collect signatures from 15 percent of registered voters who reside in townships that fall under county zoning — 356 signatures in this case — in order for the county commissioners to consider the petition. Presque Isle County residents who live in cities or townships with their own wind turbine ordinances were not eligible to sign the petition.

Zoning/Planning Michigan