Turbines in your part of town? Interest in wind power prompts local regulations.

Chuck Bulot, building commissioner for St. Joseph County and South Bend, knew the rush to install wind turbines would be cranking up after two went up at First Federal Savings Bank on West Edison Road in Mishawaka.

And now he believes he's prepared to handle homeowner requests to install them in residential neighborhoods.

As of Wednesday, the county has a new policy in place.

The new policy would fall under the zoning districts' utilities or miscellaneous section and be categorized as a special exception in the city and special use in the county, he said.

"What we want to do is make sure adjacent property owners are notified and have no problem with it," he said. "And we want them to meet some basic requirements of height and size."

The new requirements call for:

Limit in the height of the wind turbines from the ground up to 40 feet.

-A fall zone equal to the height of the turbine from the ground and away from the property line.

-Neighbors within a 300-foot radius of the property would be notified and given the right to respond in writing, via phone, or in person at a hearing.

-A two-part process for approval. In the city it would go before the board of zoning appeals for a recommendation and then the common council for approval. If it was under county jurisdiction, it would go through the area board of zoning appeals for recommendation and the county council for its approval.

Besides the hearing there would be a legal notification in a local newspaper.

"It is to primarily to safeguard the interest of the public regarding how their property may or may not be affected by such an installation," Bulot said.

The process would likely take two to three months for approval to be granted, he added.

Regarding farms, which might install a wind turbine far from a neighbor's property, he expected an upcoming meeting to possibly change the rules for that situation.

"I don't think they should have to go through this formal process," he said. "As long as they are away from the property lines. Historically where they have been used is where they lack consistent power."

Currently he does not believe noise will be a problem after standing next to the two at the bank while they were in operation.

"I just heard the slightest noise from them," he said. "I had to listen intently to hear anything at all."

Regulations governing wind turbines vary among communities throughout the area.

In Michigan, cities, townships and villages will have the main say.

Terry Eull, Niles city administrator, said he is not aware of anything on that city's books that addresses wind turbines specifically.

"We have not been approached," he said, adding he wondered how effective they could be in the average city neighborhoods. "We would have to start at ground zero and work our way through."

Tracy Vines, Niles Township zoning administrator, said the township is in the process of coming up with guidelines, utilizing a firm out of Grand Rapids.

"We are working on regulations for those in all zoning districts in Niles Township," she said. "We are not out to eliminate any of those from any property."

In fact, she thinks wind turbines producing electricity on-site is a "great thing.

"We are definitely encouraging this system," she said. "It's eco-friendly and with all the sustainability that is going on, it's definitely something that we are very interested in with our large agricultural area we have with property at the northern portion of the district ... where large turbine farms could go."

Vines said Niles Township wants "to make sure there's enough room so there are not any issues with the safety or welfare of the neighbors."