SpringfieldNewsSun.com

UNION TWP., Champaign County — Union Twp. residents will have to decide whether they want zoning regulations for wind turbines.

Energy companies have made proposals to erect numerous windmills in the county, including Union Twp. The issue is on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Regulations in the proposed zoning amendment include:

•Turbines must be at least 1,000 feet from a primary structure

•Turbines must be set back at least 1.2 times the height of the tower from an adjacent property line or road right-of-way.

•A turbine cannot be more than 500 feet tall.

Union Neighbors United, an organization formed to seek more stringent zoning regulations for the turbines, is hoping voters reject the amendment.

The regulations, which were drafted by a township zoning commission, do not adequately protect area homeowners, said Julie Johnson, a Union Neighbors United representative. Among the problems, she said, the regulations rely on the state to set a noise standard for the turbines, and would measure setbacks from homes, instead of property values.

Boyd McCarty, a township resident who supports the amendment, argued that a vote for the rules would show support for more green energy coming to the county, and that the regulations in the amendment are standard for similar projects.

Regardless of whether the amendment passes, the state has since decided that the Ohio Power Siting Board will ultimately set the restrictions for the turbines, said Matt Butler, a spokesman for the siting board.

But Johnson said the amendment would still have an impact on zoning for small, personal windmill projects, as well as having an influence on how the state sites local projects.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.