WEST LEBANON — On Monday night the Warren County Board of Zoning Appeals approved an exemption allowing development plans for Jordan Creek Wind Farm to progress in the county.
Some residents, like Burt Etchison, have vowed to appeal the decision, which, according to John Kuiper, director of Warren County Area Plan and Zoning Office, would have to occur in the next 30 days.
Etchison said in addition to concerns about property devaluation, the wind farm poses a safety threat to the community. Blades fly off with some regularity, he said, and who knows what or who they might hit.
According to Orion project developer Michael Cressner, such concerns are exaggerated and unfounded.
"Often there are claims of potential blade throw. … In the United States there has never been a fatality as a result of blade throw," Cressner said.
Windmills experience blade detachment, he added, usually due to weather conditions, but when this occurs the blade will drop directly to the ground at the base of the turbine. There are no "realistic conditions," Cressner said, that could facilitate a blade traveling up to 1,000 feet.
Although the threat of an appeal looms, Orion is advancing with the farm. The company plans to go forward with engineering surveys and scouting for wind turbine locations. After this concludes, the company will begin applying for building permits with the Area Plan and Zoning Office.