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Wind farm complaints lodged

Huron Daily Tribune|Kate Hessling|March 19, 2009
MichiganImpact on PeopleZoning/Planning

While Michigan Wind 1 went into commercial operation about three months ago, the park's development, which was headed by Noble Environmental Power, LLC, took about five years. During that time, there were a large number of vocal opponents against the project. Much of the controversy circled around Huron County's wind overlay zoning provision in the county's zoning ordinance that governs wind parks.


UBLY - While Michigan Wind 1 went into commercial operation about three months ago, the park's development, which was headed by Noble Environmental Power, LLC, took about five years.

During that time, there were a large number of vocal opponents against the project.

Much of the controversy circled around Huron County's wind overlay zoning provision in the county's zoning ordinance that governs wind parks.

The issue some people had with the wind overlay zoning was that the setback (distance) from homes, property lines and city/village limits was unfair to a majority of citizens.

A group of concerned residents formed the group, Residents for Sound Economics and Planning (RSEP), for which Angela Weber served as a spokeswoman.

The …

... more [truncated due to possible copyright]

UBLY - While Michigan Wind 1 went into commercial operation about three months ago, the park's development, which was headed by Noble Environmental Power, LLC, took about five years.

During that time, there were a large number of vocal opponents against the project.

Much of the controversy circled around Huron County's wind overlay zoning provision in the county's zoning ordinance that governs wind parks.

The issue some people had with the wind overlay zoning was that the setback (distance) from homes, property lines and city/village limits was unfair to a majority of citizens.

A group of concerned residents formed the group, Residents for Sound Economics and Planning (RSEP), for which Angela Weber served as a spokeswoman.

The group submitted a petition in October 2005 that contained 1,846 signatures, and asked for a review of the wind overlay zoning amendment, which was adopted by the county in the summer of 2005. Included in the signatures were the names of Dennis and Darcy Mausolf.

"Any land owner or resident can waive his or her rights and place the huge turbines closer to their homes if they wish," Angela Weber said a press release RSEP issued when the petition was submitted. "We are simply trying to protect those people without contracts with the wind companies, those people who will not benefit in any way from the wind turbines - but who will have to live with the turbines for years to come."

At the time RSEP submitted the petition to Huron County Clerk Peggy Koehler, the group claimed it was not an attempt to stop a wind park from being developed in the Ubly area. Instead, it was intended to create "better and more fair zoning for all citizens of Huron County," according to a statement the group issued in October 2005.

But, the petition started a controversy of its own when RSEP filed a lawsuit against Koehler in November 2005 because she determined the petitions submitted by the group were inadequate. The lawsuit asked the court to issue an injunction that would stop the construction of wind turbines in the county until a referendum could be held on the wind ordinance.

In the lawsuit against the county, of which RSEP and Dennis Mausolf were the named plaintiffs, the group claimed Koehler did not follow proper procedure under the state's county zoning act in determining petitions submitted by the group were inadequate. Koehler said she determined the petitions were inadequate because the language on the face of the documents did not comply with the state's county zoning ordinance. The ordinance requires the submission of the zoning ordinance, or part of the zoning ordinance, to the electors for their approval or rejection.

In January 2006, Circuit Court Judge M. Richard Knoblock ruled the county clerk was right in her decision.

Following Knoblock's ruling, Noble Environmental Power officials said they were ready to focus on construction of the company's 32-turbine Noble Thumb Windpark in Bingham Township. At the time, officials from Noble said the company was on track to being only about four months away from erecting its first turbines in Huron County.

However, the project ran into some obstacles and was put on hold. But things weren't stagnant for long as the company got back on track in Spring 2008 and announced it was improving and expanding the project to include 42 turbines.

Noble began constructing the 42-turbine wind farm - which, officials previously said, encapsulates more than 150 parcels owned by 96 different landowners - in May 2008.

Then, during the summer, the company began discussions to sell the project. As construction continued to progress, John Deere Wind Energy became the project's official owner in October 2008, and the park - now named Michigan Wind 1 - officially started commercial operation a few months later.


Source:http://www.michigansthumb.com…

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