Bureau County Board allows construction of 2 MET towers and LIDAR unit in Neponset Township

Following the recommendation of the Bureau County Zoning Board of Appeals, the Bureau County Board voted in favor of allowing the construction of two temporary MET towers and one LIDAR unit to be built in Neponset Township.

These MET towers and LIDAR unit are to be constructed by Renewable Development LLC and are required to be shorter than 200 feet and will be used to collect meteorological data for possible wind energy development moving forward.

The LIDAR unit contains a system that uses beams, that cannot be seen by the naked eye, to measure surrounding conditions including wind speed.

The two MET towers will be located on the west side of 150 E St., approximately 7/8 miles south of Kentville Road and on the east side of 500 E. St., approximately 3/8 miles north of 850 N. Ave.

The LIDAR unit will be located on the north side of 1050 N. Ave, approximately 3/8 miles east of 105 E. St.

The items were approved under the requirements that they be located outside of the protect mile and a half radius of the protected Neponset town limits and the MET towers locations be resodded or covered with environmental foliage as soon as possible.

Before the vote took place, the board listened to various public comments from community members including Dick and Jani Wells, Ronald Franklin, August Block, Mandy Donovan, Dori Stachowicz and Board Member Connie Stetson.

All aforementioned speakers spoke in favor of denying the requests for the MET towers and LIDAR unit.

“As you know, we have had 113 Neponset households, almost a quarter of the town’s population, sign a petition not to allow MET towers to be installed,” Franklin said. “This is versus only 36 people that have signed up to have MET towers and wind turbines installed on their properties.”

Much of the public comments mentioned the petition and the Neponset ordinance requiring any construction to be located a mile and a half outside the town limit, which was part of the approved motions.

Other speakers argued that the construction of these towers wouldn’t comply with the county’s comprehensive plan from 2014.

Chapter 8, section 8.5 of this plan states that the county should manage land use so that development occurs in a logical, orderly manner to support the county’s best interest, minimize land use conflicts between adjacent land usage, utilize resources and infrastructure efficiently.

Stetson also voiced her opinion regarding the topic during the included public comment section of the meeting.

“I attended the Planning Commission meeting and Zoning Board of Appeals meetings with concerns from the landowners and residents,” Stetson stated in a letter presented during the meeting. “Just to let you know, the landowners for the proposed sites were not at the ZBA meeting so questions could be directed to them.”

Due to time constraints, Stetson was unable to finish her statement, but in her presented letter stated that she recommended a no vote.

“As a County Board Member, we are not here to tell people how they should live and big corporations from other states or counties shouldn’t either,” Stetson stated. “People are protected in the small village and within the 1.5 mile radius of the village limits. Why are we not protecting the people that live in the rural area the same?”

All three motions were approved with an 11 to 5 vote with 3 board members abstaining.

Dale Anderson, John Baracani, Joseph Bickett, Keith Cain, Ronald Dobrich, Paul Humpage, Marsha Lilley, Mary Jane Marini, Kerwin Paris, Derek Whited and Jane Picatto all voted in favor of the approval.

Jim Donarski, Lizabeth Novotny, Connie Stetson, James Thompson and Kristi Warren voted against approval with Robert Albrecht, Ralph Anderson and Marshann Entwhistle abstained from voting.