After three public hearings, this week the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors this week approve a new commercial wind farm ordinance that does not exclude the Loess Hills area.
Board member Mark Monson had requested that the Loess Hills be a restricted area and that change was made after the first hearing. That restriction was removed Tuesday night.
Several community members said restricting wind farm construction would violate land owner’s rights.
Sioux City property owner Tom Bride sits on the Zoning Commission. Bride said people are upset that the board was proposing to take away a third of the land held by private ownership.
“We are arguing a point that doesn’t really need to argued because you still have that ability to control it without taking away property rights.”
Marcello Broyhill from across the state line said the Dakota County wind ordinance requires turbines to be set back two miles from occupied homes and recreational areas. “And these are industrial wind complexes, they are not wind farms. They will devalue the land they are put upon.”
The new setback distances are for Woodbury county wind turbines are 110 percent of total height from adjacent property lines and unoccupied residences, 1,250 feet from occupied residences, and 600 feet from cemetery or city limits.
For Siouxland Public Media News, I’m Mary Hartnett.
