The prospect of placing wind turbines in Rudyard Township continues to whirl through standing-room-only crowds each time the Rudyard Township Planning Commission takes up the issue. The winds of change are gusting slowly, however, as the commission continues to fine-tune the language of the windmill ordinance through amendments and new considerations before sending it on to the Rudyard Township Board of Trustees for consideration.

This was the case again at the Tuesday, February 23, commission meeting, where residents gathered to help shape the deliberations about whether to allow a large proposed wind farm, with some in support of the proposal and some in opposition. The outcome of the meeting was that the board will meet monthly, instead of quarterly, to expedite the decision, and a planning commissioner who potentially stands to gain financially from the proposed wind farm has agreed to abstain from future votes on the issue.

Milwaukee-based wind farm developer Half Moon Power is proposing to build 20 to 40 turbines in the first phase of the project to generate between 40 and 80 megawatts of power each. About 80 land parcels, each 80 to 100 acres, are being eyed for turbine development, the company told The St. Ignace News in November. The wind developer is considering properties southeast of town on both sides of I-75 between 18-Mile Road and 24-mile Road.

Commissioner Mike Mayer said Tuesday the pace and number of ordinance changes show this topic is one that needs to be addressed cautiously.

Since Half Moon Power expressed interest in developing such a project, Rudyard officials have felt the need to revisit their wind turbine ordinance, created in 2008, and learn more about the technology's advantages and disadvantages.

“It seems they wanted to shove the ordinance through before anyone knew what was going on,” Mr. Mayer said. “It's so complicated, it's difficult to do quickly.”

The planning commission also recognized the need for this issue to be resolved expediently and correctly, unanimously deciding to meet once a month instead of quarterly. Meetings will be every fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Rudyard Town Hall. The next meeting is March 23.

“It All Boils Down

to Setbacks”

Many of the adjustments to the ordinance were made on the heels of an information-gathering mission two of the seven planning board members participated in.

At the advice of several community members during an October 27 meeting, commissioners Mayer and Kris Piippo went on a fact-finding excursion to the Prince Wind Farm near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where they were invited by Brookfield Renewable Power to look around and learn more about the operation.

They asked questions of people whose residences were near the 389-foot-tall, 231-ton towers, and said they were impressed by the sheer scale of the turbines. Individual blades are 125 feet long and weigh seven tons.

According to a presentation brought back by the pair, permanent residents said they can't see the towers, which are 3.1 miles away, and the noise sounds like machinery in the woods.

“The bottom line is, it all boils down to the setbacks,” Mr. Mayer said. “You don't have a problem with windmill flicker, noise, or vibration if you set the turbines back far enough.”

A large majority of the proposed changes to the ordinance have to do with the issue of setbacks.

Mr. Mayer believes the guidelines used in Canada should be adopted for the Rudyard wind farms, as well, but the motion to restrict wind turbines to being no closer than 1,800 feet to occupied dwellings and non-participating properties was stalemated at three votes yes, three votes no. Commission chairperson David Folkersma was not on hand to break the deadlock.

Motions to make the setback 1,325 feet from a non-participating property did pass, 5-1, however, with Todd Salo being the lone vote against that change. Also passing were motions to effect a one-mile perimeter around the village center, judged to be the intersection of Mackinac Trail and Main Street, in which no wind turbines could be placed, and a motion to further evaluate the effects of shadow flicker.

A motion geared to define and expedite the process by which complaints would be heard during the actual process of setting up and maintaining the turbines passed 5-1. Bob Wiles was the lone vote of dissent on that issue.

The commission's fact-finding mission was met by mixed reviews from the assembled crowd. Mr. Wiles was one who believed that the pair did an excellent job relating their findings.

“I was very impressed with the presentation,” he said. “I thought it was very well done, with lots of information.”

The contingent that was imploring the officials to see a wind farm firsthand was also pleased.

“I'm so glad that someone actually went to Canada to visit this wind farm,” said Mike Kowalski. “They actually did something positive rather than reading articles that may or many not be verifiable.”

Mr. Kowalski is among those hoping to lease some of his land for wind farm development, as reported in The St. Ignace News November 5, 2009.

Citizens Call

for Transparency, Objectivity

Perry Ross, a former planning board member who had been petitioning the planning board to hear his concerns, called for more transparency as the board makes its decisions.

After months of being denied and told he was not adhering to the correct petition process, he said, Mr. Ross said there should be more transparency in the commission's findings and the data they've been using to make their decisions.

“Fact-finding is required by our zoning ordinance,” Mr. Ross said. “They are to be public record. Any fact-finding used to make the decisions they're making needs to be shared with the community. I've got legitimate questions of the township board and planning commission and can't get them answered.”

The commission contended that it is making its findings available through the meetings themselves and via the presentation, but said they would also provide the information to anyone who requested it.

In addition to motions filed by the commission itself, citizens petitioned for changes of their own. John and Meta Welcher brought their concerns about noise and threats to migratory bird populations before the planning commission.

“There are some things in there that are not in the ordinance at all and I think they should be,” said Mrs. Welcher. “All electrical should be underground. They managed it in Canada, they should be able to do it here.”

The Welcher petition contained information to address any loopholes that could come back to hurt the township. Concerned citizens enlisted the help of Susan Topp, a Gaylord-based lawyer specializing in environmental law, to compile a list of guidelines.

She advised the township to prohibit lattice structures and guy wires, as they are threats to migratory birds, and also advocated for an environmental assessment by an independent third party to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal environmental laws. The petition deemed this highly important since the proposed site of the turbines has been designated by the Michigan Audubon Society as an important bird area.

“There's also nothing that specifies day or night,” Mrs. Welcher said, detailing how their attorney assisted them in constructing language to safeguard the peace and quiet of the evening hours.

Mr. Wiles was also confronted about financial arrangements he has with the wind farm company and his active voting record on the issue. He admitted involvement to the concerned citizens and will recuse himself from future voting related to the windmill ordinance.

“All I can say is that, to my knowledge, I am the only board member who has a financial arrangement with Half Moon-Element Power,” Mr. Wiles said. “I have my land leased to them for studying the wind possibilities.”

The commissioner said he is fully aware of citizens' concerns on this issue and he told The St. Ignace News he will take steps to remove himself from this process.

“In developing ordinances early on, I didn't feel as connected to the larger issues,” he said. “It's getting closer to reality and being presented to the township. I will definitely recuse myself from future voting.”

The commissioner also informed The St. Ignace News of his previous voting record.

“I'm not ashamed to say I've voted in favor of any of the actions which would encourage wind farms; no matter which company brings them in,” he said. “These have primarily dealt with issues such as restoring the roads to their proper condition, decommissioning the turbines if the company decides to stop manufacturing power, and establishing setbacks.”

Some Rudyard Township citizens just want decisions to come sooner rather than later, to put an end to the divisiveness blowing through their town.

“I hope the zoning committee and township board will act on this issue soon, so it will stop dividing our community,” Mr. Kowalski said.

Brian Ross, another resident who spoke at the meeting, urged a tentative approach or a compromise among the parties.

“Let's start and get them in here and see what they do, both the goods and the bads,” he suggested.

Let's not have our whole township opened up [to wind power] at one time.”