(Spirit Lake)– Those looking to put up wind turbines in Dickinson county now have some new regulations they must meet.
The board of supervisors Tuesday approved two amendments to the county’s zoning ordinance that spells out the new requirements. They were developed by a committee appointed by the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
The regulations spell out things such as setbacks from residences and other turbines and rights-of-way, among others.
They also require developers to file plans for decommissioning the turbines should they become inoperable for whatever reason in the future. Those plans must be submitted to the county’s Board of Adjustment, which must approve conditional use permits that are required for wind turbines to be built. Dickinson county’s zoning ordinance only allows wind turbines as a conditional use in agriculturally-zoned areas.
While he said he would like to see stricter requirements for some of the regulations, supervisor Paul Johnson praised the committee for its work, adding Dickinson county’s regulations will serve as a template for other areas in the state.
Assistant County Attorney Lonnie Saunders added the amended ordinances are a work in progress and can always be updated and modified.
