The Village of North Baltimore recognizes the importance of clean, sustainable and renewable energy sources. To that end, the Village of North Baltimore permits the use of residential wind turbines under the following regulations to ensure the safety and welfare of all Village residents.
(a) Wind turbines shall be a permitted use in all districts under the following conditions:
(1) The maximum height of any turbine shall be 100 feet. For purposes of this particular zoning item, maximum height shall be considered the total height of the turbine system including the tower, and the maximum vertical height of the turbine's blades. Maximum height therefore shall be calculated by measuring the length of the prop at maximum vertical rotation to the base of the tower.
(2) Setbacks: the following shall apply in regards to setbacks:
Any turbine erected on a parcel of land will need to establish a "clear fall zone" from all neighboring property lines, structures, as well as any inhabited structures on the parcel intended for the turbine. A turbine will need to be erected and place in such a manner that if it were to fall, whatever the direction the fall occurs would be contained solely on the property where the turbine is located at, and would not strike any structures including the primary dwelling, and any inhabited structures.
(3) Maintenance:
Wind turbines must be maintained in good working order. Turbines that become inoperable for more that twenty-four months must be removed by the owner within thirty days of issuance of a zoning violation. Removal includes removal of all apparatuses, supports, and/or other hardware associated with the existing turbine.
(4) Decibel Levels:
All units shall operate within a decibel range of 50 to 70 decibels. This information shall be included in the engineering report described below in Section 1165.02 of this document. This information shall be obtained from the manufacturer of the turbine, and all decibel readings, if necessary shall be taken from the nearest neighboring property.
(5) Wiring and Electrical Apparatuses:
All wires and electrical apparatuses associated with the operation of a wind turbine shall be located underground.