Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Wind Turbine topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Master plan panel advises variance route after resident seeks permit for home wind turbine
Summary
A resident'led request to allow a residential wind turbine on a 1-acre lot prompted the township's master plan committee to recommend keeping the current 6-acre minimum in the zoning code because submitted materials lacked sufficient noise-impact data; staff advised the homeowner to seek a variance with property-specific evidence.
The township'initiated review of a resident request to reduce the minimum lot size for a residential wind turbine from six acres to one concluded on June 6 with the master plan committee recommending that the zoning code remain unchanged unless property-specific evidence supports an exception.
Staff told the committee that materials supplied by the homeowner were "insufficient to determine noise impacts," and that the township planner attempted to contact the turbine manufacturers but received no technical response. In the absence of manufacturer-provided noise data, the committee recommended the applicant pursue a formal variance application to present site-specific evidence for the Planning Board to consider.
"The materials provided... were insufficient to determine noise impacts," the mayor (presiding) said after recounting the committee'level review. Committee member (functional label) added that technological improvements may change the conversation but cautioned that ambient noise and neighbor impacts must be measured before ordinance changes are considered.
Next steps: the resident may file for a variance to present technical evidence specific to the proposed turbine model and site; staff will not change the zoning minimum without adequate noise and impact studies.
