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Tuesday, March 8, 2005 9:43 AM CST
County eyes wind energy plan
By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
CHARLESTON — Coles County is ready to put a wind energy ordinance in place if a plan for an area wind farm includes land in the county.
The County Board is scheduled to vote at its meeting tonight on an ordinance that would require a permit for wind energy conversion systems, joining two other area counties in setting regulations for such systems.
Navitas Energy Inc. of Minneapolis is looking into property in Moultrie, Shelby and Coles counties for a windmill farm that would generate electricity and tie in to AmerenCIPS's system.
Gary Boske of First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust, who's helping with the project, said he thinks it's unlikely that any of the windmills would be located in Coles County. Still, the property being considered includes an area west of Mattoon between Illinois Route 16 and Western Avenue Road to the county line, he said.
The Coles County Regional Planning and Development Commission drafted the ordinance and is recommending that the board adopt it. Doug McDermand, the commission's executive director, said Shelby County officials suggested that the counties' ordinances be uniform and in place before the project progresses very far.
"It's good to have an ordinance before they really get going," McDermand said.
The ordinance requires a permit from the county planning commission with a fee of $25 per foot of wind tower height plus a separate fee for each tower. Other requirements include minimum distances between windmills and other properties and at least 15 feet of clearance between the windmill blades' paths and the ground.
Very few items are scheduled for votes at tonight's meeting. One other matter the board will consider is changes to the membership of the county's 23-member Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee.
McDermand, who's acting as the committee's advisor, said one change would be to add the mayors of Ashmore, Humboldt and Lerna to the group to help ensure that all the county's communities are represented. There are representatives of Charleston, Mattoon and Oakland on the committee now, and McDermand said the new members would come on board after next month's municipal elections.
The other change would be to keep Charleston Mayor Dan Cougill and Mattoon City Commissioner Dave Schilling on the committee after the election to help with continuity, McDermand explained. Cougill isn't running for re-election and while Schilling is seeking another term, the number of candidates running means his re-election isn't assured.
Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 348-5733.
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