19 November 2005
Highlanders for Responsible Development filed a request for changes to the Highland County Zoning Ordinance on 16 February 2005. The amendments would ban industrial-scale wind turbines in Highland and would limit the height of any structure to 200 feet so that FAA aircraft warning lights would not be required. We also suggested that Highland adopt an ordinance similar to that of Rockingham County on the regulation of small wind energy systems, those less than 120 feet in height, which are intended to supplement utility power for individual farmers and landowners.
You may read the complete text of the proposed amendments as well as the cover letter that accompanied the proposal, which briefly states our rationale for the requests. We have also prepared a more-detailed position paper, which was distributed to members of the PC on 23 February.
These proposals were presented to the Planning Commission at their meeting on 24 February, as was another amendment proposed by the Board of Supervisors. The Commission listened attentively to our presentation but in the end took no action. The proposal from the Board of Supervisors was ultimately passed by the Board, removing all height limits for structures, which cleared the way for subsequent approval of 400-foot wind turbines. Both the height change and the wind-turbine decision are now the subject of legal challenges which will be heard in court on 27 June 2006 in Monterey.
H R D welcomes your input and your support.
Write to P O Box 685, Monterey, VA 24465
Or contact the President of HRD by e-mail.