By CHARLES OWENS
TAZEWELL, Va. — Planning commission members are putting the finishing touches on a proposed ordinance that would regulate the construction of wind turbines across Tazewell County.
The draft ordinance would regulate everything from setbacks with regards to wattage generated by wind turbines to the distance wind turbines could be erected from a road and the decibel volume of the tall structures.
The proposed ordinance is independent of a related ridgeline protection ordinance adopted by the Board of Supervisors last week. The ridgeline protection ordinance is currently site specific only to East River Mountain and Burkes Garden. The wind energy ordinance would cover the entire county.
“The ordinance approved last week was a general ordinance affecting any tall structure,” County Attorney Eric Young said. “The ordinance the planning commission is considering would apply strictly to windmills.”
The proposed wind energy ordinance is on the planning commission’s agenda for Thursday. The commission meets at 6 p.m. at the administration offices in Tazewell. The ordinance was previously drafted and refined by a planning commission committee. The full planning commission — if it chooses to take the ordinance up Thursday — can then refer to it to the Board of Supervisors for further consideration.
“I don’t know what the future of this ordinance is after the passage of the ridgeline ordinance,” Young said. “But I know there is public concern dealing with the construction of windmills everywhere in Tazewell County.”
When asked if Tazewell County has received any correspondence from Dominion and BP Wind Energy North America since last week’s 3-2 vote by the Board of Supervisors to approve the ridgeline ordinance, Young said the county hasn’t had any official correspondence to date from the two companies.
Dominion and BP were hoping to develop as any many as 60 wind turbines on East River Mountain near Bluefield, Va.
— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com
