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Planning Commission Concerned About Arbitrary Language at Special Meeting (Video)
Chelsea Dickens
Thu, 28 Jun 2018 06:40:07 EDT
Huron County Planning Commission met Wednesday for a special meeting with Spicer Group for a workshop regarding the County Master Plan.
Spicer Group',Alan Bean, brought draft policy statements for both commercial wind and solar which was supposed to act as a reference when deciding the language for the Master Plan.
After Bean read the draft statements many members of the commission had some questions. Many had some issues with the draft being specific to numbers used in regarding setbacks and why that would be needed for the Master Plan, which as Chairman, Robert McLean, stated several times was a itself to be a reference when the committees start deciding the ordinance for both wind and solar.
Commissioner George Launger stated, "We need to be careful," in reference to making the language more arbitrary to ensure that people would not be confused in looking at the Master Plan, should the policy language be adopted in, so that they were deterred from operating residential solar or wind if they thought they would be considered commercial.
Launger was also concerned about the setback number for solar of a half-mile iterated in the policy, due to other ordinances he had noticed having a setback distance of 100 to 200 feet for safety and human health.
Currently a wind turbine setback has to be 1,640 feet which is less than a half-mile setback (2,640 feet) in addition to other stipulations shown by Spicer Groups solar itself cannot be in wetlands, near water or lakes, has to be setback a half-mile from cities, state land, and villages and cannot be placed in farmland already subscribed in PA 116.
The Planning Commission divulged that they were presented with data and articles from its members and members of the public also offered research and statements presented to the board in public comment.
Another special meeting date has been set with Alan Bean for August 22nd at the Huron County Building, much like this past meeting. Bean will return with edits to the draft policy reflecting more vague language and other reference points for the Master Plan.
The meeting Wednesday evening started at 7:05 and was adjourned at 8:55 p.m.
