Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The Garfield city council on a split vote Oct. 10 approved installation of small wind turbines within the town’s agricultural zones. The vote approved a finding of fact by the planning commission, and the council will now decide what the limitations will be.
At the meeting last Wednesday night, Councilman Daymon Marple talked about the possible impact the turbines could have on birds, raptors and bats.
“The interesting one to me is, songbirds and bats have a higher mortality rate when the blades are not turning,” Marple noted, citing a 2006 study by the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative.
“At 300 feet away you can’t hear the small windmills,” he added.
The proposed maximum height of the turbines would be 100 feet from the top of the diameter of the blade rotation circle.
Marple said smaller tower blades produce a higher-pitched sound.
“But they don’t add to any real noise pollution,” he added, citing the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Marple said that small turbines present minimal health issues aside from the annoyance factor.
“Which I thought was quite interesting,” he commented at the town session.
Marple added “a lot worse health issues” are involved with transformers, which give off a field of electricity. Relaying more findings, he said that in the Pacific Northwest there are no coal fire, gas fire or oil fire generators.
“We’re using hydroelectric and now windmills, and each of them are non-polluting,” Marple said. “Which is why I’ve always been pro dams and pro windmills.”
“Did he change your mind?” Councilman Larry Hunt asked Councilman Mark Young, who earlier opposed the notion.
“Not quite,” answered Young. “If they are going to be allowed, there has to be requirements.”
Young said that he was not against the energy created by windmills, while noting that “the rights of homeowners need to be balanced with the rights of the community.”
He said he looked at research both for and against turbines and tried to pick neutral sources, citing studies from the U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory/National Wind Technology Center.
“What we need to work on now is, are we gonna allow it?” said Mayor Jarrod Pfaff.
Young went through his concerns, including lowering property values, shadow flickering, noise levels, height and potential disruption of digital television signals.
“These are some of the issues we need to take into consideration,” Young said. “My opinion, for several reasons, I would like not to see them in our town. Not in the city limits.”
“I think, the intent of the planning commission is to limit the places they can be put, based on lot size,” said Councilwoman Sharon Schnebly. “It’s almost a non-issue, there’s so few (property owners) that could have one.”
“So the question is, do we want to make it complicated or do we want to make it simple?” said Marple.
Councilman Tim Southern said he tended to agree with Young.
“I’m leaning toward not within city limits. To me, it almost becomes like the junk vehicles. To some it’s fine and to others it’s the ugliest thing in the world.”
“I’m for ‘em, with specific guidelines,” said Councilman Hunt. “If we’re talking about those more open areas, I think it’s the way of the future.”
“I absolutely agree,” said Schnebly.
Hunt then moved to allowing the turbines in agricultural zones.
Schnebly seconded the motion and it was approved on a 3-2 vote with Young and Southern voting no.
“Okay, more homework,” said the mayor.
Conditional use restrictions the council will need to decide on will include setbacks.
“We’re in the very early stages on this,” Mayor Pfaff told the Gazette. “I imagine it will be the rest of the year just doing research. It really could be we end up reversing ourselves.”
The wind turbine matter for Garfield came up in August when a resident requested permission to install one. The request was forwarded to the town’s planning commission.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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