4/10/08 BIG BIG BIG Meeting TONIGHT! Want a 40 story turbine 1000 feet from your door? Neither do we! Safer Setbacks PLEASE!!
BIG BIG BIG MEETING Thursday, April 10, at 7pm at the Magnolia Town Hall! Wind Ordinance for the Township of Magnolia will be considered for recommendation. (Scroll down to read the Janesville Gazette article about it)
WHICH END OF THE WIND FARM WILL YOUR HOME BE ON?
Why is it so important?
The blue and pink areas on this map show the most likely Magnolia locations for the 67 industrial turbines. (Scroll down to the end of this post for close ups of the maps.) These turbines are 40 stories tall. The state of Wisconsin allows them to be placed 1000 feet from your door even though there are documented with problems with living too close to these giant, noisy machines. If you live in the pink or blue areas of this map or even near them, your home will be affected.
The Magnolia township ordinance recommends they be placed a half mile from a home. At half a mile the noise and shadow strobing can still be a problem but it's one that may be easier to live with.
Magnolia township isn't the only township that will have to adopt an ordinance.
Projects in Union, Center and Spring Valley will also have to be considered.
If you know anyone in local government who may want to learn about why wind ordinances are important, please tell them about the meeting on April 10th at the Magnolia Town Hall! Here is what Today's Janesville Gazette had to say about it.
Magnolia proposes wind ordinance
April 7, 2008 by Gina Duwe in GazetteXtra
A proposed wind ordinance that would keep wind turbines a half-mile from any home could be up for its first vote Thursday in Magnolia Township.
The planning and zoning board will have a public hearing and discuss and possibly act on the draft ordinance at its 7 p.m. meeting Thursday night at the town hall.
The board decided to use the draft ordinance put together by the Town of Union Wind Study Committee, which spent five months researching wind energy, said Gordon Klitzman, Magnolia planning and zoning member.
"We thought that was probably a better idea (than the state's model draft ordinance)," he said. "Otherwise, we were kind of going by what the state said, but they didn't have any facts to back it up."
Magnolia's 25-page draft ordinance is nearly identical to Union's draft. Restrictions include placing a turbine at least one-half mile from homes, businesses, churches and other inhabited structures, and at least 1,000 feet from the nearest property line.
The committee saw great turnout at wind "workshops" held nearly every month since last summer to gather information and citizen input about wind energy, said committee member Steve Earleywine. Anywhere from 15 to 70 people attended each meeting, he said.
"We looked at a lot of the issues (and) had great participation with other townships," he said.
Members of the Town of Union Wind Study Committee also presented their findings to Magnolia officials, along with their draft ordinance, on which Magnolia ultimately decided.
"It was really the only ordinance that was strongly supported by research, and that was one of the big things our citizens were asking for-something backed by sound scientific data," Earleywine said.
The town's lawyer is reviewing the ordinance, he said.
EcoEnergy is proposing a 100 MW wind farm in Magnolia that would include 67 turbines.
The BPRC Research Nerd
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