Wind power bid prompts hearing in Stonington

Stonington - A local woman is seeking approval of a zoning amendment that would allow property owners to erect small wind power systems on their lots.

Julia Roberts of School Street has submitted a regulation text amendment to the Planning and Zoning Commission, which will now schedule a public hearing.

A small wind energy system typically provides power to run electric devices in a home, and if the power it produces exceeds those needs it can be fed back into the local power grid.

Homeowners can then get credit for the power when there is not enough wind-generated power to meet their needs, and they need power from the grid.

The systems come in two designs - the more commonly seen tower with blades on top and a helix-shaped configuration.

The proposal would allow a system on a lot if the homeowner receives site plan approval from the commission and meets zoning regulations.

Systems would be allowed on lots of more than 40,000 square feet in the RA-40, RR-80, RC-120, GBR-130, M-1, GC-60, TC-80, LI-130 and HI-60 zones.

The maximum tower height would be 40 feet, the systems could not generate more than 20 decibels of noise at the property line, and the applicants would have to show that the shadow and flicker patterns would not significantly adversely impact neighbors or adjacent uses.

No signs or communication devices could be placed on the towers, and the color and materials would have to blend in with the natural setting and buildings.

Systems would have to be on the same properties as the buildings they serve and could not be located in wetlands or buffer areas.

j.wojtas@theday.com