Hanover Park wind turbine vote gets a political spin

Hanover Park officials are on the record as supporting wind turbines - just not in their backyard.

The board voted 4-0 to join the Wind Turbine Alliance, a group of nearly 40 municipalities, school districts, community colleges and park districts that back the construction of power-generating wind turbine farms.

Hoffman Estates and Des Plaines are the other two member communities.

The alliance supports legislation sponsored by state Rep. Fred Crespo that requires ComEd to give electricity credits to taxing bodies that build a wind farm.

Under the proposal, 100 wind turbines measuring 300 feet tall would be built near downstate Normal. Funding would come through the Federal Clean Renewable Energy Source Bond program, which allows renewable energy projects to obtain interest-free financing. The alliance says wind power is environmentally friendly and would cut electricity costs by millions.

But this being Hanover Park, politics were of course interjected into the brief discussion.

Trustee Bob Packham berated Craig for dragging his feet in passing a resolution. He said the majority of the board wanted a vote several meetings ago. Last month, trustees finally went against the mayor and approved putting the resolution on Thursday's agenda, a move Craig called "dastardly."

"He's trying to be the lone ranger hero on this," said Packham. "This is his pet project."

Craig defended putting off a vote, saying the resolution needed reworking to pertain more to municipalities rather than school districts.

Trustees Bill Manton and Wes Eby also joined Packham in reiterating their opposition to building a wind turbine at Greenbrook Elementary School or any other site in Hanover Park.

"It's a question of location, location, location," said Eby, who along with Packham recently announced they will not run for re-election in April. "This I can support."

Added Packham: "Building a 450-foot tower in village limits is a stupid idea," he said. "Any municipality that does that needs its head examined."

Craig, however, won't concede the idea that Hanover Park residents could one day look up their own wind turbine.