Hampshire committee mulls rules for wind power

The Hampshire planning and zoning commission is working on an ordinance that would standardize the construction of wind turbines on residential and commercial properties in the village.

Commissioners are set to discuss the proposed ordinance at a meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 18, at village hall.

Village President Jeffrey Magnussen said some homeowners recently approached the village board with interest in installing the energy-producing apparatus on their property.

However, the village does not have an ordinance that allows or prohibits homeowners or businesses to install such equipment.

"With the emerging technologies of wind turbines we thought it would be wise to regulate them so we don't have people putting up poles and decorating them with streamers or painting them orange," Magnussen said. "We want to make sure the structures don't impede neighbors with a flicker or noise. There needs to be rules in place so everyone knows what's allowed and what's not."

Planning and zoning commission member George Brust and village attorney Mark Schuster laid out a proposal that regulates issues such as the height of a free-standing structure, the wattage it can produce and the decibel level.

"There is more and more demand from people looking into it," Schuster said. "People are trying to be greener and it is a good time to look at what regulations make sense."

Village Manager Eric Palm said the working document is based on ordinances from Schaumburg and Skokie.

Commission members are proposing a 35-foot height limit and that it be a distance of at least 1.1 times the height away from houses, pools and fences, in the event the tower fell, Palm said.

That could pose a problem for many homeowners as properties in Hampshire would not accommodate the required fall area, Magnussen said.

Although rooftop turbines are not included in the proposed ordinance, Magnussen said he supports the devices on top of houses because they would not require as much space and would blend in better than a steel structure in a backyard. A rooftop mounted device would likely not exceed the roofline, he said.

"A roof-mounted unit is less intrusive than a 30-foot pole," Magnussen said. "It would blend in like the satellite dishes or DirecTV."