Carson City officials OK home windmill ordinance

Private windmills will be cheaper and easier to own under an ordinance approved Thursday by the Carson City Board of Supervisors.

The city will no longer require a $2,200 permit application fee and planning commission approval for a windmill. Windmills had been treated by the city like any other structure over 32 feet high.

Supervisors will have to approve the ordinance again within 45 days to make it law.

Windmills can be up to 90 feet tall or the length from base to the edge of a property. Noise can be up to 50 decibels at homes and 60 decibels on other private land. One windmill is allowed on properties under an acre. The ordinance has no limit on the number of windmills on land over an acre.

Windmill owners will have to get a building permit under the city ordinance. This will cost between $50 and $200, based on the price of the windmill.

Both planning staff and the three out of five supervisors who supported the ordinance said the city had to make changes to comply with state law.

Local governments can't "unreasonably" restrict private wind, solar or water energy systems under the law. They can put limits on the height, noise and number per resident.

The city could get sued for violating state law if it didn't adopt an ordinance, Mayor Bob Crowell said.

Supervisor Pete Livermore said restrictions like limiting windmills to properties five acres or more would disqualify most city residents.

Windmill technology is new, but it will evolve and become less controversial over time, he said.

But several residents and Supervisor Shelly Aldean said windmills in residential areas could be too loud, ruin views and hurt property values.

Diana Howard said windmills would disturb the peace and quiet she's enjoyed living in Carson City for 24 years.

Anyone who wants to install a windmill should at least have to get permission from surrounding neighbors who will have to live next to the windmills.

"This noise is a constant noise," she said. "It will be going all the time."

- Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.

In other

city news:

- Supervisors voted to combine the development services and public works departments by moving the development services department's planning, building, engineering, business license and code enforcement divisions under the public works department. Development Services Director Walt Sullivan also will retire under the plan to help the city save about $156,000 a year. Sullivan will get about $55,000 to retire under an agreement with the city.

- The Carson City Airport could get up to $19 million it requested from the federal stimulus bill to help rebuild its runway. Steve Tackes, attorney for the airport authority, said he expects the airport will most likely get between $9 million and $13 million.

- The city will look to hire an internal auditor to audit the city's billing process, bypass project and parks and recreation programs. The city has not had an internal auditor since Sue Johnson left the city in October.