Wind Energy Ordinance
Key claim: This ordinance creates a Wind Energy Facility Overlay District and the site-plan, setback, noise, and related standards that govern where and how wind turbines may be built in Huron County.
Abstract
County document “Wind Energy Ordinance” (16 pp), published on https://www.co.huron.mi.us/building-zoning. Wind Energy Facility Overlay Zoning Revised Ordinance V5_PH Adopted November 10, 2015; Eff. November 27, 2015 Page 1 of 16 ADOPTED BY HURON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, TUESDAY, November 10, 2015 RESOLUTION IN ORDINANCE FORM NO. 15-154, ZA 2015 -04 WITH EFF. DATE November 27, 2015 ARTICLE X. HURONCOUNTY WINDENERGY CONVERSION FACILITY OVERLAY ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION 1. PURPOSE AND INTENT The purpose of this Article is to provide a regulatory scheme for the designation of properties suitable for the location, construction and operation of Wind Energy Conversion Facilities (Wind Energy Facilities) in Huron County, to meet the needs of the County’s citizens for energy and other natural resources, places of safe residence, recreation, industry, trade, service, tourism, and other uses of land, to ensure that use of the land is situated in appropriate locations and relationships, to facilitate adequate and efficient provision for water, energy, recreation, including habitat for wildlife, and other public service and facility requirements; and to promote and protect the health, welfare, safety, and quality of life of the general public, and to ensure compatible land uses in the vicinity of the areas affected by wind energy facilities. A Wind Energy Facility Overlay District shall be considered a map amendment, wherein lands so classified shall become pre-qualified for a Wind Energy Facility with construction of such facility approved pursuant to Section 5 Wind Energy Facility Site Plan Review, of this Article. It is further recognized that a Wind Energy Facility Overlay District is intended as an agricultural preservation measure. SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS As used in this Article, the following terms shall have the meaning indicated: Airport Zoning Ordinance shall mean the Huron County Memorial Airport Zoning Ordinance. Ambient Sound shall mean the all-encompassing sound associated with a given environment, being usually a composite of sound from many sources near and far, as defined by ANSI S12.9 Part 3. A-weighted sound level shall mean the sound pressure level in decibels as measured on a sound level meter using the A-weighting network, a method for weighting the frequency spectrum to mimic the human ear. Expressed as dB(A) or dBA. ANSI shall mean the American National Standards Institute. The current revision of each referenced standard shall be used. ASTM shall mean the American Society for Testing and Materials. Background Sound shall mean the all-encompassi
Why this matters
This is the foundational adopted ordinance that operationalizes Huron County’s status as Michigan’s largest wind-energy county, translating Master Plan policy into binding overlay-district rules for turbine siting. Everything downstream — setback fights, noise disputes, amendment battles, and moratoria — is measured against the baseline this ordinance establishes.