(A) All small wind energy conversion systems (S-WECS) are prohibited in all zoning districts except for the Agricultural District only if allowed as a special use.
(B) Special use permit application requirements.
(1) The special use application for S-WECS shall include standard drawings of the wind turbine structure, including the tower and base and an engineering analysis of the system showing compliance with the adopted building codes of the city and certified by an Illinois licensed design professional.
(2) The special use application shall include a certification from an engineering or acoustical professional that the Illinois Pollution Control Board regulations will not be violated by the proposed special use. Said application shall also include a base line study of the back ground noise levels at the property lines of all adjacent properties.
(3) The application shall include the certification from an appropriate design engineer or other professional approved by the City of Villa Grove that there shall be no more than ten hours per year in shadow flicker on any nonparticipating commercial or residential structure caused by the S-WECS.
(4) The special use applicant shall include an agreement to indemnify and hold harmless the city as outlined in § 157.06.
(C) General regulations.
(1) Only one S-WECS may be approved per zoning lot.
(2) S-WECS may only be approved as an accessory use to a principal structure, and no S-WECS shall be approved on a vacant parcel.
(3) Climbing apparatus. All climbing apparatus shall be located at least 15 feet above the ground, and the tower must be designed to prevent climbing within the first 15 feet from top of foundation.
(4) S-WECS must comply with applicable FAA regulations, including any necessary approvals for installations close to airports.
(5) The sound pressure levels generated by a S-WECS shall comply with all Illinois Pollution Control Board noise regulations. To demonstrate compliance with Illinois Pollution Control Board regulatory limits, all measurements must be taken at the borders of any non-participating property. The applicant must immediately cease any violation of the Illinois Pollution Control Board regulations unless said violation is excused and waived by the affected landowners and occupants.
(6) No S-WECS shall be installed until evidence has been provided that the utility company has been informed of the owner or operator's intent to install an interconnected customer-owned generator. Off-grid systems shall be exempt from this requirement.
(7) Any S-WECS that is not operated for a continuous period of three months shall be considered abandoned, and the owners of such system shall remove all structures within 90 days of receipt of notice from the city notifying the owner of such abandonment. If the S-WECS is not removed within 90 days, the city may remove all structures at the owner's expense.
(8) A monopole construction is preferred for all S-WECS without the use of guy wires; however, if guy wires or anchoring systems are employed they shall extend no closer than 30 feet from an adjacent property line.
(9) The S-WECS shall not have any advertising material, writing, pictures, or signage other than warning, equipment identification or ownership information. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, the attachment of any flag, decorative sign, lights, streamers, pennants, ribbons, spinners or waiving, fluttering or revolving devices, which are not directly used for the generation of energy, but not including meteorological/weather devices.
(10) S-WECS shall not operate so as to cause microwave, television, weather radar, radio or navigation interference to any non-participating landowner, and if such interference occurs it shall be mitigated by the owner or operator.
(D) Agricultural District.
(1) Maximum height (any fraction of an acre will be rounded down to the closest whole number):
Lot Size (Acres) | Maximum Tower Height (feet) |
1 to 5 | 50 |
5 to 19 | 70 |
20+ | 100 |
(2) Minimum lot size - one acre.
(3) The blade tip of any rotor shall, at its lowest point, have ground clearance of no less than 15 feet, as measured at the lowest point of the arc of the blades. The lowest point of the arc of the blade shall also be ten feet above the height of any structure within 50 feet of the base.
(Ord. 2021-MC03, passed 2-8-2021)