Barre cancels public hearing on Wednesday for zoning changes on wind turbines
BARRE — The town has canceled a public hearing scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Barre town highway garage, 14317 West Barre Rd.
Town Supervisor Sean Pogue said the hearing will instead be in late October. That date will be set at the Oct. 14 Town Board meeting.
Pogue said the hearing needed to be pushed back so neighboring towns and counties could be notified that Barre was considering changes in the zoning.
Among the revisions proposed include increasing the maximum height of a wind turbine, from tip height, to 700 feet. The town currently sets the limit at 500 feet.
Apex Clean Energy is proposing wind turbines that would be a maximum 680 feet high as part of a 33-turbine Heritage Wind project in Barre.
The zoning amendments also would set the setbacks from property lines to be at least 1.5 times the tip height of a turbine, and that is for non-participating land owners or those without leases for a turbine.
The zoning changes also would revise standards for noise levels for wind turbines, shadow flicker and construction hours.
The town also is looking to add requirements for aircraft detection lighting and for decommissioning of the turbines.
