March 12, 2019 – Citizens in the north-east part of Livingston County received post cards today, from EDF Renewables out of Minneapolis, MN inviting them to RSVP to a dinner and introduction to EDF’s Livingston Wind Project at the Tri-Point High School (in Cullom) on April 3rd at 6pm.
The Livingston County zoning ordinance specifies a public notice period before an application can be filed:
Sec. 56-622. - Public participation and pre-application.
Nothing in this article is meant to augment or diminish existing opportunities for public participation. At least 90 days prior to the submission of any WECS application, the applicant shall make a reasonable effort to inform members of the public of the proposed project. Mailings and notices of public community meetings or open houses shall be sent out to landowners and residences within the footprint and to landowners and residences within 1.5 miles of the proposed outside boundary of the project. These mailings should make reference to where additional information can be obtained regarding the proposed project. Advertisements in local newspapers and at least one community meeting are also required.
If this invitation counts as the public notice, an application for the project could be filed around June 11th.
Current Livingston County WECS Ordinance
Livingston County’s current ordinance specifies a maximum height of 500 feet towers:
(k) Height. The permitted maximum height of a WECS shall be 500 feet.
(1) State and federal regulations may require a lesser height.
(2) A WECS and transmissions poles shall be constructed with a tubular tower or monopole structure, not a lattice tower.
Note that the setbacks as listed on the County Ordinance link are not up to date:
(h) Setbacks.
(1) All WECS towers shall be set back six times the height of the tower or 3,250 feet, whichever is greater, from any primary structure. The distance for the above setback shall be measured from the edge of the primary structure foundation closest to the WECS tower, to the center of the WECS tower foundation. The owner of the primary structure may waive these setback requirements but in no case shall a WECS tower be located closer to a primary structure than 1.10 times the WECS tower height..
For this area of the county, the setbacks are now 1600 (or 1640?) feet based on the results of the 2016 referendum on the ballot.
See the following two articles for background information:
Division of setback voters rather clear cut
https://www.pontiacdailyleader.com/news/20161111/division-of-setback-voters-rather-clear-cut
And the subsequent action by the County Board in 2018:
Setback issue finally resolved by county
https://www.pontiacdailyleader.com/news/20180216/setback-issue-finally-resolved-by-county