Wind farm to install cables under roads at 50 locations; Some county roads will also be realigned

STERLING - Peetz Table Wind Energy needs to cross Logan County roads in 50 places, installing control cables that relate to the operation of the wind towers.

"All it takes is about 20 minutes to make the crossing," David Tenan, representing the wind farm, told the Logan County Commissioners at their meeting today.

The machine that digs the trench and places the cables also partially backfills the ditch, he said.

Tenan said the company would put up appropriate signs to warn motorists, and that all the crossings will be marked with underground cable signs after the cables are installed. The road crossings will be made throughout the area covered by the Peetz Table Wind Energy towers. A map showing the specific locations is available at the Logan County Planning Commission office for anyone who is interested, noted Commissioner Jack McLavey.

The Logan County Commissioners unanimously approved the agreement with Peetz Table Wind Energy to allow the right-of-way crossings. Each of these crossings will be at a minimum of 48 inches below the lowest portion of the borrow ditch. The agreement states that all paved roadways will be bored and all others will be cut, compacted and filled to specifications. Each crossing area will include from one to four cables. Each cable will be placed in an eight-inch conduit, and where there is more than one cable, the conduits will be spaced at least 20 inches apart.

Road realignment

The commissioners also approved an agreement with Peetz Logan Interconnect, a subsidiary of FPL Energy, to reconstruct portions of several county road surfaces, to assure proper safety distances from power poles placed in the public rights of way at several locations.

"Nearly all our county roads have a 60-foot right of way, which includes a 30-foot travel way - the graveled road," County Planner Jim Neblett said.

But over time, many of these travel-ways have shifted, he said, so they are no longer in the center of the right-of-way.

"For the safety of our citizens," Neblett said.

Logan Wind Energy has agreed to realign the roads where needed so that all the power poles are all at least 12 feet from the traveled road.

"We're going back in and realign the roads, back into the center of the right-of-way," Tenan said. This will be done so that it inconveniences the citizens as little as possible, he said. "We're not going to open up a whole lot of road in one day."

The roads to be rebuilt include portions of Logan County roads 78, 37, 76 and 74.

In Other Business:

# The commissioners approved an agreement with Cedar Creek Farms LLC, which offered to quit claim a parcel of land to Logan County for an additional right of way on County Road 40, to be used for a bus stop for the RE-1 Valley schools.

Neblett said the county has had an ongoing discussion about this, for the safety of the school children. The agreement will allow parents to park on the right-of-way and the school bus to load and unload children and turn around as needed. The farm will retain the right of way to enter its property at this location.

# The commissioners also approved an application for a subdivision exemption for Clarissa Nelson to exempt a 5.02-acre tract, with a house, well and septic tank, from an 80-acre parcel in an agricultural district. The property is located along the west side of County Road 87, north of County Road 30. Nelson's request had been tabled at the commissioner's meeting last week. She did not know then that she needed to be present, she told the commissioners today.

Carol Barrett can be reached at (970) 522-1990, Ext. 238, or by e-mail at: cbarrett@journal-advocate.com.