Schedule presented for wind presentations

The Clinton County Planning and Zoning Commission now has a schedule to go by as they navigate potential amendments to the county’s wind energy regulations.

The commission - which held their regular monthly meeting on Thursday, June 2 - has been presented with a schedule. The schedule was proposed by both representatives of NextEra Energy, the company proposing to build wind turbines in northern Clinton County, and representatives of Concerned Citizens for the Future of Clinton and DeKalb County, a group of residents in opposition of the proposed project.

 Hamilton In-Story

The commission will hear testimony concerning amendments proposed by Concerned Citizens prior to deciding which, if any, of the amendments to pass. The schedule is as follows:

• Thursday, June 16 – Decommissioning, blade glint, shadow flicker.
• Thursday, July 7 – Setbacks and lot sizes, noise.
• Thursday, July 21 – Stray voltage.
• Thursday, August 4 – Transportation routes, lighting, wildfire.
• Thursday, August 18 – Real property value protection, livestock operation, administrative.

The planning and zoning commission is currently working under a moratorium on all wind energy permit applications to the county, which will expire in December, or sooner should planning and zoning resolve the issue before then. Any amendments approved by planning and zoning would then go on to the Clinton County Commissioners, who would need to sign off on those amendments.

During their meeting on Thursday, the planning and zoning commission heard three requests to divide and rezone property in Clinton County. Two gained approval and the third was tabled.

The tabled request was from Arville Myers of Trimble, who applied to divide and rezone from AG-A to AG-B a little less than 29 acres of land on Southwest Shewey Road. Myers said the request was part of the family’s estate planning, which would allow them to will the land evenly to his two children.

Two nearby property owners were in attendance of the meeting Thursday. Steve Tinnen (who is the owner of Tinnen Publishing and the publisher of The Clinton County Leader) did not speak to the commission and was neither opposed to nor in favor of the request.

Mack McCartney, a neighbor to Myers, was also in attendance and was opposed to the request.

McCartney spoke to the commission. He stated that he and his wife have been residents of Clinton County for nearly 20 years, and that their home recently began experiencing water in the basement when a new driveway was constructed on the Myers property. McCartney also worried that Myers would continue to request property divisions from the planning and zoning commission in order to fully divide the property.

Myers responded to the commission that driveway was installed under the direction of Clinton County Road and Bridge.

The commission tabled the issue for 60 days in hopes that the parties involved can work out the issues.

Fonda Pritle (trustee) of Lathrop, represented by Steven and Kris Chaney, was approved for the division and rezoning of 24 acres off of NE 264th Street. The property was divided into two tracts and rezoned from AG-A to AG-B.

Doug Lowe of Trimble, owner of Timber and Treats, Inc., requested to divide nearly 19 acres from an original 53 acres, and to rezone the 19 acres from AG-A to Commercial 2. The request was approved. The land is located just north of Trimble.