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Oliver County pauses vote on 1‑mile wind setback after hours of public comment
Summary
Oliver County commissioners tabled an amendment that would impose a 1‑mile setback for nonparticipating residences near wind turbines after a lengthy public-comment period in which residents described shadow flicker, blinking aviation lights and property‑value concerns while developers warned the change would remove a majority of planned turbines from projects.
Commissioners in Oliver County on Tuesday deferred action on a proposed ordinance amendment that would require a one‑mile setback from nonparticipating residences for new wind‑energy turbines, choosing instead to table the measure for further study.
Supporters of the longer setback said the change would protect residents from shadow flicker, nighttime aviation lights and other noise and nuisance impacts. “I would strongly support a full mile setback…we built our forever home and we’ve got the flickering and the red lights into my living room every single night,” resident Tara Dupart said during the public‑comment period.
Developers argued a strict one‑mile nonparticipating setback would make large portions of planned projects infeasible. A company representative said, “With a 1 mile setback of the array that we planned today, 46 turbines, which is over 60% of the turbines, would have to go away,” and urged commissioners to weigh feasibility alongside mitigation options.
Commission discussion emphasized finding a middle ground and obtaining additional technical information before making an ordinance change. One commissioner moved to table the measure “until I can do a little more research,” and the motion carried on a roll‑call-style confirmation of the voice vote.
The item was referred back for additional study; commissioners and staff said they would seek more data about shadow‑flicker mitigation technology, operation of aircraft‑detection lighting systems and revised setback scenarios (for example 0.75‑mile) to better estimate impacts on both residents and project viability.
Next steps: the commission will receive additional staff analysis and company responses before scheduling further action; planning and zoning materials and prior public comments will remain part of the record.
