The Fergus Falls Daily Journal

By Tom Hintgen

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County board tables wind turbine application near Marion Lake

Published 10:36am Monday, July 20, 2009

Otter Tail County Commissioners, while backing wind energy within county boundaries, on Tuesday agreed with a recommendation from the County Planning Commission to table a request to erect a wind tower near Marion Lake in Dead Lake Township, southeast of Dent and southwest of Perham.

The application, from Thomas and Georgette Wegscheid, calls for positioning the wind turbine with an 80-foot tower, for personal electric energy, approximately 680 feet from the lake. The applicants requested to have their application tabled to allow members of the planning commission to view a wind turbine — identical to the proposal by the Wegscheids — at Residential Wind Power, Inc., in New York Mills.

Planning commission members want to see the wind turbine site at New York Mills in order to become more familiar with its operations.

Commissioners, on Tuesday, said the five-person county board may want to establish guidelines about erection of wind towers within Otter Tail County. They pointed out that some wind towers, depending on size, present more environmental issues than others. They said that if guidelines were in place, it would make their jobs easier when applications from people such as the Wegscheids would be brought in, for their review.

County commissioners, on Tuesday, did approve five conditional use permit applications.

The board approved a request to rebuild an older, existing road for farm use near Moenkedick and Ceynowa Lakes at Edna Township, west of Perham. The application came from Jon Saetre and DLM, LLC.

The county board okayed a request from Dennis and Tammy Buchanan, with conditions, for a preliminary plat entitle Twins Acres. This consists of two non-residential lots near Rush Lakes and Buchanan Lake in Rush Lake Township, south of Perham.

Commissioners approved placing 18-inch polyethylene pipe near Pelican Lake in Dunn Township, northeast of Pelican Rapids. The application came from Larson Lake Property Partnership. This project will not result in additional flow to Pelican Lake.

A request from the Otter Tail County Highway Department to replace a deficient bridge along Highway 67 in Deer Creek Township received board approval. Approximately 300 feet of grading is associated with the project.