Design board approves courthouse generator with requirement for matching screening

The Woodstock Design Review Board voted to approve installation of an automatic transfer switch and a diesel generator at the Windsor County Courthouse, with a condition that landscaping be installed at a height sufficient to screen the unit at the time it is placed.

Jim Brockhausen, the applicant’s representative, described the equipment and safety measures: “The sound level of the generator is 69 dBAs,” he said, and explained that the unit sits on a double‑wall subbase fuel tank that triggers an alarm if a leak is detected. Brockhausen also said the generator will run a self-test of roughly 20 minutes on a schedule that can be timed to reduce neighborhood impact.

Board members questioned fuel safety, screening and test timing. A committee member asked whether shrubs could be planted behind parking meters so the unit would be fully enclosed; Brockhausen agreed and said he would confirm planting plans in writing. The board moved, by voice vote, to accept the application with the contingency that installed plant material be at least the height of the generator at installation.

Key details: the generator’s estimated installed height was described as roughly 71 inches on the unit and about 75 inches including the pad; the applicant emphasized the double‑walled tank and alarm system to reduce spill risks. The board’s approval was recorded as a voice vote; members closed testimony before the motion and the application was accepted with the stated planting condition.