Published: April 29, 2009 09:02 pm      

West Virginia: Officials prepare ordinance ahead of windmill debate

BLUEFIELD — The debate over a proposed large-scale windmill farm on East River Mountain is blowing into Bluefield.

City officials are being asked to prepare an ordinance regulating the development of windmills along the West Virginia side of East River Mountain. City Manager Andy Merriman and City Attorney Brian Cochran are now in the beginning stages of drafting such an ordinance.

Merriman said there is no indication at this time that the companies developing the large windmill farm near Bluefield, Va., are planning to expand the project into West Virginia. However, Merriman said it is only prudent for the city to have an ordinance in the books to regulate such a development if it is proposed for Bluefield.

“We have no indication that is the case,” Merriman said Wednesday morning of the possibility of the windmill project expanding across the state line. “But being America’s Air-Conditioned City, it is obvious we have some sort of prevailing winds coming into town.”

Merriman said he and Cochran will draft an ordinance and present it to the board for consideration.

Art Riley, head of the Downtown Merchants Association, said Tazewell County officials waited too late to adopt a windmill ordinance.

“I would like to ask the board to consider a position on windmills on the top of East River Mountain,” Riley said. “The Tazewell County Board of Supervisors have met, or are in the process of preparing an ordinance. I would like for this board to consider an ordinance for East River Mountain before it is too late and someone buys land on East River Mountain.”

Riley said the city of Bluefield can learn from the mistakes made by the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors.

“In Tazewell County, the land was purchased and the monies were paid and then Tazewell County tried to pass an ordinance,” Riley said. “A retroactive ordinance — and that just won’t work.”

City attorney Brian Cochran said the discussion at Tuesday’s board meeting could serve as notice that city officials are considering an ordinance regulating the development of such structures on East River Mountain.

“This is a public forum, and a public meeting, and the board has authorized me to draft a public ordinance,” Cochran said.

Dominion and BP Wind Energy North America Inc. have purchased 2,560 acres of land in Tazewell County. The two companies are hoping to have wind turbines operational on East River Mountain as early as 2012.

– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com