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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Tuesday,January 20,2015 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> Schoenzeit stated there could also be some minimum performance standards,which would help prevent <br /> nonworking wind turbines. <br /> Thiesse pointed out there are minimum manufacturer performance standards that will not provide much <br /> electricity but still cause issues. <br /> Landgraver stated of all the municipality ordinances, none of them has adopted anything like that and the <br /> only group advocating that is the MPCA model ordinance. <br /> Leskinen asked if Commissioner Thiesse would like to have minimum performance standards to prevent a <br /> nuisance. <br /> Thiesse stated if someone is going to install a wind turbine, it should create a fair amount of electricity. <br /> Lemke questioned whether that would require the City to calibrate everyone's wind turbine to ensure it is <br /> running correctly. <br /> Gaffron asked if the Planning Commission would like to see wind turbines in a commercial district and <br /> whether they should be an accessory use or a conditional use. <br /> Landgraver stated his personal opinion would be to make them a conditional use. <br /> Leskinen indicated she would agree with that. Leskinen noted the City has very few commercial <br /> properties and that they are few and far between but close to residential. Leskinen stated in her view they <br /> would have to at least be a conditional use to make sure the impacts are minimized or eliminated to <br /> residential areas. <br /> Gaffron stated at this point he is not getting the impression that anything should be written in the Code to <br /> allow them in commercial areas. <br /> Landgraver stated there has been no demand and that they are close to residential neighborhoods. <br /> Schoenzeit stated the proper way would be to implement a process to get a conditional use permit for a <br /> WECS in a commercial district. <br /> Leskinen asked if there are any disadvantages to making them a conditional use. <br /> Gaffron stated some standards would need to be established for commercial districts, such as height, <br /> setback and location. Gaffron stated wind turbines located in a commercial area would likely be designed <br /> to produce larger amounts of electricity and would need to be higher in height. <br /> Gaffron stated as it relates to height, setback, and location standards,the Planning Commission's <br /> recommendation in November of 2013 was to limit WECS as follows: <br /> -Only allow WECS in the RR-1A and RR-1B, 2-acre and 5-acre Rural Residential zones. <br /> -Not allow WECS in the Shoreland Overlay District,nor in wetlands or floodplains. <br /> -Minimum lot size of 10 acres(gross acreage) <br /> -A minimum setback to any property line of 300 feet. <br /> Page 6 of 21 <br />