Tazewell officials anticipate ridgeline ordinance vote at meeting, no guarantee
Bluefield Daily Telegraph|Charles Owens|January 25, 2010
Tazewell County officials say they will attempt to make a decision Feb. 2 on a controversial wind turbine farm for East River Mountain. However, they aren't guaranteeing at this point that the board will be able to reach a consensus decision on the proposed ridgeline construction ordinance at the Feb. 2 meeting.
Tazewell County officials say they will attempt to make a decision Feb. 2 on a controversial wind turbine farm for East River Mountain. However, they aren't guaranteeing at this point that the board will be able to reach a consensus decision on the proposed ridgeline construction ordinance at the Feb. 2 meeting.
TAZEWELL, Va. - Tazewell County officials say they will attempt to make a decision Feb. 2 on a controversial wind turbine farm for East River Mountain.
However, they aren't guaranteeing at this point that the board will be able to reach a consensus decision on the proposed ridgeline construction ordinance at the Feb. 2 meeting.
"I feel like it is going to come to a vote on that day," Board Chairman Seth White said. "I know there will be some discussion on it. I anticipate a vote."
Although an agenda has not yet been printed for the Feb. 2 meeting, White said it is still scheduled for the county administration offices in Tazewell. The meetings normally begin with a closed-door executive session at 6 p.m. followed by an open session …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]TAZEWELL, Va. - Tazewell County officials say they will attempt to make a decision Feb. 2 on a controversial wind turbine farm for East River Mountain.
However, they aren't guaranteeing at this point that the board will be able to reach a consensus decision on the proposed ridgeline construction ordinance at the Feb. 2 meeting.
"I feel like it is going to come to a vote on that day," Board Chairman Seth White said. "I know there will be some discussion on it. I anticipate a vote."
Although an agenda has not yet been printed for the Feb. 2 meeting, White said it is still scheduled for the county administration offices in Tazewell. The meetings normally begin with a closed-door executive session at 6 p.m. followed by an open session at 7 p.m.
White had previously indicated that he and fellow board members had hoped to tour a wind turbine farm at Mount Storm in West Virginia before their Feb. 2 meeting.
David Anderson, the board's vice chairman and Eastern District member, said the wind turbine issue "will definitely be discussed" at the Feb. 2 meeting. However, Anderson said he too didn't know if the board would be able to reach a decision at that time.
If adopted by the board, the ridgeline ordinance - as currently written - would restrict the development of tall structures along certain protected ridgelines, including East River Mountain and Burkes Garden.
The supervisors - including two previous members who are no longer seated on the board - have been wrangling with the wind turbine issue for more than a year. Dominion and BP Wind Energy North America originally confirmed plans in late 2008 to develop as many as 60, 400-foot tall windmills along the ridgeline of East River Mountain.
Although a public hearing has already been held on the ridgeline ordinance, the board's Feb. 2 meeting still includes a citizen comment section on the agenda.