By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA
regulation being considered by Buchanan County could, in effect, keep any wind
farm from locating in the county.Buchanan
County’s Planning and Zoning Commission heard from opponents of wind farms
during two nights of public hearings last week. A work session is planned for
next month before the commission forwards its recommendation to the County
Commission.Presiding
Commissioner Lee Sawyer says the county is listening to the concerns of
citizens.“I
think everybody took it very seriously. I think it was very clear, the people that
spoke, what their angle was and they are not interested in having wind energy
in Buchanan County,” Sawyer tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.Sawyer
says the third draft of wind energy regulations being considered for approval
would require wind turbines to be set back at least half a mile from a property
line. That is a standard often used in rural, more sparsely populated counties.
Sawyer says that in Buchanan County it would be hard for any wind energy
company to meet that requirement.“It makes
it pretty difficult to do,” Sawyer says. “We’ll see what the Planning and
Zoning (Commission) comes up with, but, frankly, a half mile setback from the property
line makes it very difficult to accomplish.”Sawyer
says the County Commission relies on the expertise of the Planning and Zoning
Commission members and rarely goes against their recommendations. But, he adds,
the commission will carefully weigh its recommendation and public input before
adopting wind energy regulations.Birr
asks Sawyer it he would favor an out-and-out ban on wind farms in the county.“We
would have to talk about it,” Sawyer replies. “I wouldn’t sit here and tell you
today that we wouldn’t. I do think, as I said earlier, that the kind of
property line setbacks that we’ve introduced and the property line setbacks
that they might be willing to come back to us would accomplish really the same
thing.”The
public has until the end of the month to provide input on the proposed
regulations.

Regulation could rule out any wind farms in Buchanan County