|
05/25/2007
LETTER: County board does not represent the
people
It seems obvious that the county board does
not represent the people. They have slapped the
faces of a lot of the residents in the wind farm
matter. I am one who would profit from the two
wind towers that I signed up for; but had I known
that most of my neighbors would be against them,
I would not have signed up.
Wind towers are probably a good idea, but they
should be located where there aren't so many
houses around them.
For
more of this story, click here:
05/23/2007
LETTER: Ogle County continues protection plan
This morning, May 14, at 9 a.m., I spoke with
the Ogle County Zoning Office. I inquired about
the Home Seller Protection Plan which was one
of the conditions for issuance of the special
use permit for a wind generation facility in
Ogle County. I specifically asked if these conditions
were still in force even though no construction
has begun due to pending lawsuits. The answer
is yes; all conditions are still in force.
Last Thursday, May 10, The Journal-Standard
reported John Blum stating that no such protection
plans exist in Illinois. Those in attendance
can tell you that Mr. Blum went so far to stress
this “truth" by asking Mr. Groves
to come forward and attest to this statement
as “fact." Mr. Groves said, “That
is the truth. No other county in Illinois has
a home protection plan."
For
more of this story, click here: 05/21/2007
GUEST EDITORIAL: Here's hoping you hear
us
The Freeport chapter of the League of Women
Voters hosted an event in March of this year
featuring advocates and energy company representatives,
at which “renewable" energy options were
discussed. I did not attend, but the Journal-Standard
article reporting on it offered up several concepts,
some of which I find intriguing.
The idea of siphoning methane gas from the Freeport
landfill to be used by nearby manufacturing plants
to meet energy needs appears to hold some promise.
Methane digesters converting manure to electricity
makes sense. These involve pre-existing facilities
as generating stations. Apparently the equipment
used in these processes is and would be unobtrusive.
And, I daresay, would be considerably more efficient
than a 400-foot tall, 286-foot wide wind turbine
that operates at only 25 percent efficiency.
For
more of this story, click here:
05/17/2007
Legal maneuvers in wind farm case
FREEPORT - Stephenson County Circuit Judge Theresa
Ursin will assign a new judge to hear a law-suit
filed in March seeking to prevent the EcoGrove
Wind LLC wind farm from being built northwest
of Lena.
“I am going to take this under advise-...
For
more of this story, click here:
05/10/2007
County board will not create wind-farm protection
plan
FREEPORT - After considerable debate, the
Stephenson County Board on Wednesday agreed to
remove a stipulation from special-use permits
that requires the county to create a homeowner
protection plan for the proposed local wind farms.
As a result of Wednesday night's action, the
county will not create a plan which sets up terms
by which the wind-farm companies would compensate
adjacent homeowners who experience a loss in
property value due to the wind towers. Two wind
farms, Lancaster Wind Farm LLC and EcoGrove Wind
LLC, are being proposed for the Dakota and Lena
areas, respectively.
For
more of this story, click here:
05/08/2007
J-S LETTER: County considers you an enemy
Ah, April 30,2007! Yet another “red letter" day!
How comforting to learn that your County Board
considers you an enemy. To learn it feels that
it must protect itself from you. To learn that
when it extends its arms it is to embrace outsiders
whose only interest is to make a profit from
your misery. To learn that “home seller" protection
and “non-participating landowners" protection
really means “County Board" protection.
For
more of this story, click here:
05/02/2007
Wind farm protection plan will not be required
FREEPORT - After an executive session Monday
night, the Stephenson County Planning and Development
Committee approved motions recommending that
the county not require a homeowner protection
plan for the local wind farms.
In a unanimous vote, the committee endorsed
removing the stipulations in the wind farm special-use
permits that require the county to create a protection
plan. The full County Board will likely vote
on this issue at its next meeting at 6:30 p.m.
May 9.
For
more of this story, click here:
04/12/2007
Wind farm opposition should be thanked
I must first thank you for printing my letter
on March 5, 2007. I am still concerned with this
issue. One of the last letters to the editor
referred to anyone opposing these wind generators
as being an “antagonist". I know those opposed
have been called worse but this type of mentality
is wrong. 27.
I must first thank you for printing my letter
on March 5, 2007. I am still concerned with this
issue. One of the last letters to the editor
referred to anyone opposing these wind generators
as being an “antagonist". I know those opposed
have been called worse but this type of mentality
is wrong.
For
more of this story, click here:
03/01/2007
A new wind is blowing Lawsuit by 10 plaintiffs
could block wind farm in Stephenson County
FREEPORT - Ten Stephenson County property
owners objecting to the proposed Lancaster Wind
Farm near Dakota filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking
to invalidate the farm's special-use permit and
prevent the project from moving forward.
The plaintiffs include David and Kris Parrish,
Don and Rita Koch, Rick and Joyce Giles, Carl
and Sharon Wise, and Jerry and Marcia Maize,
all of whom are adjacent property owners to the
proposed wind farm. Listed as defendants in the
suit are the Stephenson County Board, County
Board Chairman John Blum, the county Zoning Board
of Appeals, Zoning Board Chairman Jim Yeoman,
Lancaster Wind Farm LLC, Navitas Energy Inc.,
and Gamesa Corporacion Tecnologica, S.A.
For
more of this story, click here:
02/02/2007
Stephenson Co. to examine homeowner protection
plan
FREEPORT - As Stephenson County officials
work to create a homeowner protection plan for
the two proposed wind farms for this area, some
objectors to the project are concerned a draft
version of the plan does not sufficiently protect
residents who experience property value loss.
Currently, the plan is in draft form and may
be changed as participants continue to discuss
the terms of the document, said Terry Groves,
director of planning and zoning for the county.
The plan, which is also known as a “home-seller
protection agreement," will be discussed at the
next county Planning and Development Committee
meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at the
county courthouse. County officials, the wind-farm
companies, and landowners are providing input
on the plan's creation, officials said.
For
more of this story, click here:
12/20/2006
Movement seen on wind-farm proposal Turbines
at two farms likely to run in 18 months
FREEPORT - Work continues on establishing
two wind farms in Stephenson County, as officials
move closer to completing a draft of the Homeowner
Protection Plan, which establishes terms for
compensating homeowners should their property
values decline due to the wind towers.
Terry Groves, director of planning and zoning
for the county, said a draft version of the homeowner
plan will likely be presented to the County Planning
and Development Committee for consideration Dec.
27.
For
more of this story, click here:
11/14/2006
EcoGrove touts wind farm proposal for northwest
of Lena Zoning board hears testimony on plan
to build more than 60 turbines
The Journal-Standard FREEPORT - Drawing
a large and attentive crowd, the Stephenson County
Zoning Board of Appeals heard testimony Monday
on the proposed EcoGrove Wind LLC wind farm project
slated for a site northwest of Lena.
The special public hearing was held to consider
a special-use zoning application from Freeport-based
EcoEnergy LLC, a division of The Morse Group,
which is proposing the EcoGrove farm.
For
more of this story, click here:
|
