Rules to allow homes to use wind power advance

Turbines could be on private lots

Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008

The proposal heads to the planning commission for public hearing and starts a 125-day countdown for action.

Richard Johnson of Valley Lee brought the idea to the commissioners after investigating the feasibility of installing a wind turbine on his own waterfront property.

Under the proposed zoning rule a parcel would have to be at least a half acre for a tower and turbine that measures up to 80 feet tall. For a taller one, the land would have to be at least an acre. Also, if the turbine is 80 feet tall, it has to be set back from the property line by 80 feet.

County staff reported that a typical home uses between 800 and 2,000 kilowatts hours of electricity per month. A 4- to 10-kilowatt wind turbine is about the right size to meet the demand.

For those choosing to install such a system, it would be an accessory permit application, not a conditional use, which is a much more involved process.

‘‘I think the text amendment as drafted has merit,” said Denis Canavan, director of St. Mary’s County Department of Land Use and Growth Management. All of the commissioners supported sending the proposal to the planning commission for a public hearing. However, some of them worried how migratory bird paths might affect local wind turbine systems.

Commissioner Daniel H. Raley (D) noted language in the proposal regarding migratory birds and asked if county staff had expertise in their movements.

‘‘I would not say in specifics on migratory birds flying through the county,” Canavan said. He added that it is standard language.

‘‘Birds and bats are a big problem for wind turbines – they fly into them,” said Yvonne Chaillet, zoning administrator.

But they are a problem for large turbines and for properties with multiple units, not these small private ventures, she said.

‘‘Birds are fine,” Raley said, but from an enforcement standpoint, ‘‘Who determines this bird path here?”

County staff would use state data, Chaillet said.

‘‘Some migratory bird paths are fairly wide,” said Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R). With massive overlays ‘‘that eliminates wind turbines from the county,” he said.

But Chaillet reiterated that those overlays would only affect larger, commercial turbines that are much taller.