LAFAYETTE – Wind farms in Tippecanoe County took a blow Wednesday, as planners from across Greater Lafayette recommended an ordinance that would effectively ban commercial turbines.
The
vote came after a half-dozen people derided the idea, saying that
banning wind farms would make Tippecanoe County appear backward at a
time when energy sustainability is vital.
The
argument in return, including from nearly two dozen residents of
southern Tippecanoe County – thought to be a prime spot for potential
wind farms – was that turbines belonged in counties that weren’t growing
the way this county is.
The ordinance would
prohibit wind turbines taller 140 feet. That would leave the possibility
for smaller turbines, similar to ones that power CityBus offices along
Canal Road north of downtown Lafayette. But it would shut out commercial
turbines, which can range from 300 feet to as much as 600 feet, for
newer models.
The Area Plan Commission – a body
made up of representatives from government bodies in Lafayette, West
Lafayette, Tippecanoe County and three towns in the county – voted 11-4
to recommend the ban. Final votes on the ordinance will come from
Tippecanoe County commissioners on May 6, followed by votes by the other
city councils and town boards.
Tippecanoe
County, which is near large wind farms in Benton and White counties,
already made it difficult for large turbines, with restrictions set in
2007 that demanded setbacks of 750 feet from neighboring properties
without turbines and at least 1,200 feet from dwellings.
Julie
Peretin, a Tippecanoe County resident, said neighbors grew concerned
that those restrictions weren’t enough as they heard that wind energy
companies were looking to sign leases for a possible wind farm in the
southern part of the county.