Public weighs in on ordinance

The Montgomery County Planning and Zoning Commission has finalized a draft ordinance regarding wind turbines. Under the ordinance, the following setbacks are required:
• Adjacent property lines: six times the total height or 3,200 feet, whichever is greater.
• Dwelling: six times the total height or 3,200 feet, whichever is greater.
• Occupied non-residential building: six times the total height or 3,200 feet, whichever is greater.
• Agricultural operational building: six times the total height or 3,200 feet, whichever is greater.
• Public road right-of way: 1.25 times the total height.
• Public conservation area: one mile.
• Cemetery: six times the total height or 3,200 feet, whichever is greater.
• City limits: Two miles from the corporate limits.
• Airstrip: Per FAA regulations.
Also, the ordinance stipulates from the lowest point of a blade tip to ground level must be seventy-five feet or greater. No tower shall exceed three hundred feet in maximum height as measured from the ground to the tip of the blade at its highest point of rotation. No turbine within a project shall be located more than two miles from the next closest turbine in that same project, also, there shall be no project constructed or erected that causes the total number of towers in the County to exceed thirty (30) total turbines. Finally, noise from a wind turbine may not exceed forty decibels as measured from the closest setback distance, ground level to a residence.
The planning and zoning commission held a public hearing April 29 to discuss the final draft ordinance. Commission member Naomi McCunn addressed the crowd and said only one person in the meetings discussing the proposed ordinance has said that they were for wind turbines, and the height minimums or maximums and the setbacks in the ordinance meant the county was going to be very protected, and the ordinance was drafted based on knowledge that the majority of the county did not want wind turbine projects.
The meeting was then opened to public comment. Margaret Thomas said she was against turbines being constructed for a variety of reasons.
“Number one, there is an impact on birds or other flying wildlife. Two, there’s the loss of our natural beauty. Who wants to look out over the landscape with a turbine staring back at you? We live in the country to make a living in agriculture and to be a part of God’s network, not a turbine monstrosity,” Thomas said. “Three, there are a number of equipment failures causing fires, debris scattered over the fields. Possibly the fields will not recover. In 10 years, will the turbine even work? Who will take them and all the cement out? What new inventory will take their place? Is the money worth it?”
Ann Anderson-Johnson also urged the planning anf zoning commission to take a stand against turbines.
“The area around our home near Hawthorne appears to be a target for turbine development. There are numerous reasons why wind turbines should not be permitted. While wind farms are often promoted as offering renewable energy benefits and supporting economic development, we are deeply concerned about their environmental impact. Many believe that wind energy is a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. While it is true that turbines generate electricity with fewer greenhouse gas emissions, the environmental cost of manufacturing, installing, and maintaining these machines is significant and often not as widely publicized as the supposed benefits,” advised Anderson-Johnson.
Two letters were read in favor of having wind turbines. One from Mary Casey Harlan and another from Peggy Casey Harper. Harper’s letter encouraged the embracing of change.
“Wind energy offers a chance to strengthen our local economy, create jobs, and secure a sustainable future without compromising our way of life. Wind energy brings good-paying jobs, supports local economies, and helps us achieve energy independence. Iowa leads the nation in wind energy, producing nearly 60% of our electricity from wind, and we’re proud of that. The wind industry employs thousands of Iowans, generating stable, reliable jobs in rural communities. Wind turbines occupy only a small fraction of land, about one acre per turbine, allowing farmers to continue farming and grazing livestock,” said Harper.
Steve Turman and Maggie McQuown supported the revised ordinance, as did Chris and Christine Baird.
“Having grown up on a century farm in northwest Iowa, near Pomeroy, where there are major wind turbines everywhere, I just want to say my view is quite different from when I grew up. When I drive home now, I let out a silent groan because it’s almost like the environment and the picturesque countryside has been vandalized by these wind turbines. I’m very much in favor of the restrictions to keep them out of the county,” stated Christine.
John Young was one of the last to speak during the meeting, and advised the commission the supportive letters were from non Montgomery County residents, stating they graduated from Griswold in the 1970s and one currently resides in Georgia.
After the public hearing was closed, commission chairman Barb Allen reiterated that the public influenced the ordinance.
“We’ve worked on this for nearly three years, and the number of people that we have heard from in support of wind energy in Montgomery County is minute. It is maybe two handfuls of people. We feel like it is our obligation to come up with this ordinance. It is restrictive. And it will pretty much eliminate the possibility of wind projects in Montgomery County,” Allen advised.
Other members of the commission commented that they also heard limited support.
“You think the carbon pipeline is controversial, well I’ve had 20 times more people contact me on the wind turbine ordinance, and not a single one that’s contacted me has been in favor of it. There have been numerous conversations with people that are really against it. We haven’t taken it lightly. We’ve looked at multitudes of other county ordinances, and this is where we are with ours,” stated commission member Randy Pendleton.
The commission approved the revised wind turbine ordinance as presented. Allen said the ordinance will be presented to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, who will set their own public hearing on the ordinance before the supervisors approve or reject the ordinance as presented.