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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06012010 Planning & Zoning Work Session Notes WECS Discussion from June 1, 2010 P&Z Meeting Ecklund asked if the inspection language that had been added to the draft was similar to or consistent with inspection guidelines adopted by other Alaska municipalities. Terry said staff limitation was the primary reason the Building Department expressed the need to have trained professionals conduct the Wind Energy Conversion System inspections. Ecklund asked what the cost to a home owner might be to have a certified inspector come to Seward for any required inspection. Ecklund said she would also like to see how other communities are dealing with the issues of regular inspections. Terry said she will need to do more research to determine if any qualified inspection staff are available in Alaska. Ecklund asked about zoning and lot size requirements for the installation of Wind Energy Conversion Systems. It appeared in the draft language that only larger lots would be allowed to install the systems, Ecklund said. Terry explained that the majority of lots south of the Forest Acres neighborhood would be required to install rooftop units, instead of free standing systems. Terry said the communities of Homer, Kenai and Anchorage have adopted larger lot requirements. The lot size requirement could be revised, if that was the wish of the Commission, Terry said. Ecklund also asked about minimum blade clearance rules for rooftop mounted units. Terry said the blade clearance requirement was based on height above the ground, not above the roofline. Commissioner Heinrich pointed out that blade height requirements should be 14 feet or 15 feet, at a minimum, because certain commercial vehicles are nearly that tall. Terry explained that the Wind Energy Conversion System code language was in a draft form and would be changed to reflect the wishes of the Commission and the community. A staff review and legal review would both be done before the proposed code changes moved forward for adoption, Terry said. Roach' pointed out that other communities generally have larger lots and are not as limited as Seward in terms of available space. Ecklund said she would not like to restrict the installation of the systems for larger lots, unless there are health and safety reasons for the requirement. Tower units would require larger lots, but rooftop units may not require larger lots, Ecklund said. ' Terry said that some of the other concerns, beyond safety, include community aesthetics and impact to neighbors. If the Commission felt that 3,000 square foot lots were large enough for the Wind Energy Conversion Systems, it could be reflected in the code,Terry said. Ecklund said she did want to discuss the potential for noise problems and the practical aspect of measuring decibel output. In the past there have been problems with conducting checks of noise levels, even though there were noise limits specified in city code. Terry said Police Department staff would go into the field with decibel meters and measure noise levels. Citations could be written, but there have been problems with enforcement at the court level, she said. Terry said the noise level can not exceed 50 decibels. Terry also said the lot size may not be an issue of concern if there was a 1.1-to-1 setback requirement for pole height from the property line. Roach' pointed out that height is related to efficiency. The property owner could decide if they wanted to install and operate an energy system that might not have optimum efficiency. Terry said the draft allows for the installation of a system on an adjoining lot, under the same ownership, as an accessory use to a residence. The systems would be allowed as a secondary use in all zoning districts. Morgan said she would agree to allow an energy system on a lot with a residence and an adjoining vacant lot under the same ownership, unless there was some serious problem with that level of development. Heinrich questioned whether it would be better to allow one turbine unit per lot, whether there is residential development on the lot or not. Roach' said she believed it might be better to regulate the units as a secondary use on a lot. Roach' said her primary goal with the proposed code change was to help home owners with their energy needs. Terry said the height for the free standing units would, generally, not exceed 80 feet. If they exceed 80 feet, but not more than 200, a conditional use permit would be required. Roach' asked if there was any information about the height of trees in the Seward area, which would have an affect on the way the Wind Energy Conversion Systems function. Terry said she could do the research and determine if the 80 foot height would be adequate. Y In the industrial districts the height would be restricted to 300 feet, but the 1 A-to- 1 setback requirement would still apply, Terry said. The Seward electric utility was working on how to allow wind turbine owners to feed energy into the power grid, she said.The wind energy ordinance could be in place as that effort continued, she said. Terry said the Commission should continue to provide comment for the next version of the code draft.