PALMDALE – The City Council on Wednesday will continue a public hearing from its November meeting, seeking to approve an ordinance that would permit Small Residential Wind Generator Systems (SRWGS) for certain zoning districts.
Council members voted 4-0 at the Nov. 6 meeting (with Councilwoman Laura Bettencourt absent) to continue the public hearing to December, allowing staff the time to consult industry experts on the noise levels of small residential windmills.
Mayor James C. Ledford at the November meeting expressed concern with the noise generation of the proposed SRWGS, wanting to know more about “lowering the dB (decibel) threshold” of the wind turbines if it should become an issue with neighboring residences.
And Councilman Steven D. Hofbauer said the most important issue was providing adequate notification for neighbors “so that they have the ability to know what is happening on that adjacent lot to theirs … that they have some input on the impact of it.”
SRWGS include a tower, associated controls, and conversion systems. They are used by single family residences to reduce on-site consumption of utility power by converting mechanical energy into electricity, according to the staff report from Development Services of the Planning Division.
Looking at the engineering specifications of five different systems, city staff found that the noise generation ranged from 4.5 dB(A) to 45 dB(A) at a height of five feet from the ground, the report stated.
According to the report, the Helix Wind S322 design gives a silent operation at less than five decibels above background noise. Staff looked at three different sizes of the AELOS wind turbine systems and the noise generation ranged from 30 dB(A), 40 dB(A), and 45 dB(A). The different dB(A) output ranged in physical size and maximum output power generation. The three different models in the AELOS brand are the horizontal wind turbines; the two previous ones are the vertical design turbines (VAWTS).
The proposal to amend Palmdale’s Zoning Ordinance would permit SRWGS as accessory uses in Light Agriculture and Single Family Residential zoning districts, while establishing definitions and development standards for SRWGS, including minimum parcel size, location within yards, cage width, height, noise, and aesthetics.
The city notes that there has been increased interest in renewable energy systems, and wind generation for on-site consumption within single family residences has gained some interest from homeowners.
Since March 2011, the City of Palmdale has received 696 building permit applications for single family roof-mounted solar panels (a number that includes some multi-family residential, but excludes utility-scale solar power generation facilities), according to the report.
The Planning Commission adopted a resolution on Sept. 12, recommending that the City Council approve the zoning ordinance amendment. Adopting the proposed ordinance amendment would result in a new Minor Site Plan Review application fee of $483 for Planning Department processing and an approximate fee of $900 for Building Permit Issuance, according to the staff report.
The Minor Site Plan Review application is required to review SRWGS requests to ensure that impacts to adjacent properties are minimized – and that adjacent property owners and residents are notified of the proposed project, the report stated.
According to the staff report, “the proposed amendment will ensure that residential alternative energy systems are available in the City of Palmdale, and are installed in a manner that avoids hazards to public health and safety, minimizes adverse aesthetic impacts, and ensures compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood while at the same time reasonably accomodates renewable alternative energy systems.”
The report also stated that the maximum allowable SRWGS height would range from 35 feet for a typical single family residential lot (7,000 square feet) to 100 feet for a one-acre lot.
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The regular meeting for the Palmdale City Council begins at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chamber at 38300 Sierra Highway, Suite ‘B’ in Palmdale. For more information, visit cityofpalmdale.org.
