Published: March 10, 2009 04:06 pm      

Bluefield, Va., council passes zoning ordinance

BLUEFIELD, Va. — A zoning ordinance that will regulate the height of tall structures within town limits was passed unanimously Monday by the Bluefield, Va., Town Council.

A revision to height regulations and a Mountain Ridge Overlay in the town were both passed unanimously by the council’s members. The changes require a conditional use permit for structures 100 feet high or higher, said Zoning Administrator Cody Musick.

Under the zoning changes, “as a condition for granting a conditional use permit, a bond shall be required in an amount equal to the removal cost of any tall structure at the end of its useful life,” Musick said, reading the changes the council made to the proposal submitted by the town’s Planning Commission.

The decision to study whether to change town zoning codes came about when Dominion and BP Wind Energy North America, Inc. proposed building a large wind turbine project along the ridge of East River Mountain near Bluefield, Va. Proponents of the project have said that it would generate electricity and enhance economic development, while opponents counter that the windmills would damage tourism and spoil the ridge’s scenic beauty.

A bond should cover the cost of dissembling and removing a tall structure and restoring its site if the company erecting it goes bankrupt, said Vice-Mayor Rick Taylor.

The town council has an obligation to set a standard and look after the town’s citizens so they will not have to pay for removing a tall structure if that becomes necessary, said Mayor Don Harris.

A tall structure includes not only windmills, but cell phone towers and similar structures, Musick said.