The location, design, and maintenance of WECS shall be governed as follows.
(A) Applicants requesting a conditional use permit for a WECS shall furnish such scale drawings and information as the city deems necessary. This information shall include, but is not limited to the following: a site plan of the premises involved showing lot lines, the accurate location of all buildings or structures on the premises and on each adjacent lot, and the location of proposed tower and all guy wires, poles or anchors, and a sketch elevation of the premises accurately depicting the proposed tower and its relationship to structures on adjacent lots.
(B) (1) The permitted maximum height of a WECS shall be determined in one of two ways:
(a) A ratio of one to one between the distance from the closest property line to any part of the WECS tower to the height of the tower; or
(b) A maximum of 100 feet in the agriculture and manufacturing districts, and 50 feet in residential and commercial/business districts.
(2) The shortest height of the two above-mentioned methods shall be used in determining maximum height. Height shall be measured from the surrounding grade to the rotor hub or top of the tower, whichever is higher.
(C) No part of the WECS shall be located within or above any required front, side, or rear yard.
(D) No part of the WECS shall be located such that it could potentially affect or come into contact with any telephone, TV, cable, or electrical lines on the same adjacent properties.
(E) All WECS shall be designed to meet the following minimum standards.
(1) The tower and tower footing be engineered to withstand wind and icing loads for this geographic area.
(2) The WECS shall have an automatic braking device capable of halting operation in conditions of imbalance or excessive wind speeds (40 mph or greater).
(3) The WECS shall be designed, constructed, and operated so as to not cause radio and television interference.
(4) The WECS blade design and materials shall be adequate to ensure safe operations in an urban area.
(5) The wind turbine and the tower shall be compatible.
(6) The WECS shall be operated and maintained in a condition which will not exceed the noise level prescribed by State Regulation NPC 1 and 2 Noise Standards, Minn. Administrative Rules Chapter 7030, and any amendments thereto.
(7) The WECS shall be guarded against unauthorized climbing. The first 12 feet of the tower shall be unclimbable by unauthorized person by design or be enclosed by a six foot high, non-climbable fence with a secured access.
(8) The WECS shall be designed and installed to withstand natural lightning strikes.
(9) The WECS electrical equipment and connections shall adhere to all state and local government, as well as power company regulations and standards.
(F) Any WECS not in operation for 12 consecutive months shall be dismantled.
(G) The city shall require liability insurance to be maintained on the WECS by its owner.
(H) In order to ensure adequate wind access, the city does encourage the use of private easements and restrictive covenants as a means to protect wind access.
(Ord. passed 6-9-2020; Ord. passed 4-13-2021; Ord. passed 7-13-2021; Ord. passed 8-16-2022; Ord. passed 10-11-2022) Penalty, see § 156.999