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#14-3700 Amend Section 7&1379 <br /> November 13,2014 <br /> Page 4 <br /> The above goals and potential mitigation measures were considered as generally relevant to a11 <br /> types of alternative energy systems, including WECS and SWECS. <br /> General SWECS Information <br /> A variety of background informational material regaxding SWECS will be found in Exhibit E. <br /> Model Ordinances <br /> During 2013 the Planning Commission reviewed sample WECS codes from Brooklyn Park, <br /> Lakeville, North St. Paul, Woodbury and Medina. A variety of model ordinances for regulating <br /> SWECS can be found on the web, and there are hundreds of city and county ordinances extant. <br /> The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has generated a model ordinance (see Ezhibit D-1) <br /> similar to many others, which suggests the following punchlist of elements that should be <br /> included in a WECS ordinance: <br /> A. Distinguish between Types of Wind Energy Applications <br /> B. Define Necessary Permits <br /> C. Identify Wind Resource Standards <br /> D. Establish Setbacks <br /> E. Establish Safety Standards <br /> F. Establish Design Standards <br /> G. Establish Other Applicable Standazds <br /> H. Minimize Infrastructure Impacts <br /> One additional model ordinance and three sample city ordinances are attached as Ezhibits D2 <br /> thru D5 to allow a comparison between a variety of perspectives. <br /> Analysis of 2013 Draft Ordinance <br /> The ordinance draft supported by the Planning Commission in November 2013 addressed many <br /> of the above elements, and avoided or purposely didn't address others: <br /> - The 2013 draft established 3 types of wind turbines (see Definitions from current code, <br /> Ezhibit A) based on the nameplate generating capacity: Residential Wind Turbine - 10 <br /> kW or less; Small Wind Turbine - 100 kW or less; Utility Wind Turbine - Greater than 100 <br /> kW. Only Residential Wind Turbines would have been allowed if that ordinance had been <br /> adopted, and only in the 2-acre and 5-acre. WECS larger than 10 kW would not have been <br /> allowed. The draft did not acknowledge that WECS of 5,000 kW capacity or larger aze <br /> state-regulated. <br /> - The 2013 draft indicated that Residential Wind Turbines require a building permit, and are <br /> allowed as an Accessory Use in the RR-lA and RR-1B Districts. The draft prohibited them <br /> in all other zoning districts, and also prohibited them within the designated Shoreland <br /> Overlay District and within floodplains and wetlands. Because WECS were not allowed in <br /> commerciaUindustrial districts, no specific permit requirements were established for that <br /> use. Because the use was limited to Residential Wind Turbines and didn't include larger <br />