03-09-2015 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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#14-3700 Wind Energy Conversion Systems March 5,2015 Page 4 Public Comments At the November public hearing, Peter Lanpher, an Orono resident who lives adjacent to a property that contains a SWECS, showed video of the impacts of the SWECS on his enjoyment of his property. His comments are contained in the minutes of the November 16 PC meeting (attached to the January PC packet). Lanpher's basic concerns are that the negative visual impacts of flicker shadow need to be proactively dealt with and that the variables of height, location, and orientation of a WECS need to be considered when siting a turbine to avoid WECS. Additionally, comments were heard from Lisa Daniels, Executive Director of "Windustry", a non-profit wind energy information organization based in Minneapolis and a managing partner of the Midwest Wind Energy Center. Ms. Daniels' comments appear in the PC minutes of January 20, 2015. Her main concerns were the proposed limits on height, setbacks and minimum lot size. Staff Recommendation The Planning Commission packet for the January meeting contains a table comparing WECS ordinances from a variety of jurisdictions. Also attached aze selected WECS informational materials included in the November 2014 PC packet. The draft ordinance attached as Exhibit A reflects Planning Commission's recent comments and suggested revisions of the draft ordinance recommended by the Commission in 2013. Since the January Planning Commission meeting, the City attorney has reviewed the draft and has indicated a number of concerns that should be considered by Council - these are highlighted in Ezhibit B. The ordinance is by no means in a final form, but does establish a framework to assist the Council in determining where and under what conditions WECS should be allowed in Orono. COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED Review the materials presented and consider whether or how the various elements of the draft ordinance address the City's goals regarding wind energy conversion systems.