Published: September 09, 2009 11:14 pm      

Frostburg council may amend turbine ordinance

FROSTBURG — Frostburg City Administrator John Kirby said Wednesday he would not be surprised if the mayor and council amend a potential residential wind turbine ordinance, thus pushing any final vote on the matter into October.

“There were a lot of very helpful ideas — not necessarily competing or contradictory views — that came out of the August public hearing on the ordinance,” Kirby said.

That original ordinance would provide:

• Maximum height of 165 feet.

• Maximum noise level of 55 decibels.

• Setback from neighboring properties greater than turbine height, unless agreed to by neighbor.

• Construction of turbines atop existing buildings.

• Setbacks for guy wires.

• Braking or governing systems to prevent uncontrolled blade rotation.

• Underground placement of electric wiring.

• Prohibition of lights or signs on turbines.

• No limit on kilowatt capacity.

“Amendments may be suggested during the next public work session (Tuesday, 7 p.m., City Hall) and then voted on at the next public meeting (Sept. 17, 7 p.m., Frostburg Community Center),” Kirby said.

Should those amendments be approved by the elected officials, the vote on the ordinance would not happen until the public meeting of Oct. 15.

Mayor Arthur Bond, who could not attend the August public hearing about wind turbines, said Wednesday that he thinks there will be serious internal discussion about changing the maximum allowable height of turbines.

Several people who commented at the hearing said 165 feet is more representative of a commercial wind turbine and that 100 feet has been the maximum height on most residential units.

“We may be revising some of our thinking,” Bond said.

Contact Michael A. Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com.