AUBURN — A proposed windmill installation and servicing company needs a change in city zoning codes before it can move its base to Auburn.
Economic Development Director Roland Miller said the company, named Techwind, plans to make Auburn its home base. That involves building a power-generating windmill in the middle of the lot.
"It will become a showcase of what they do," Miller said. "They plan to bring people in to show them how the windmills work and then how to install and service them."
Auburn's current General Business zoning regulations allow windmills in the city's core but limits them to 45 feet in height, or four-stories — too short to be effective. The new language would change that too allow them to be as tall as needed, as long as the buffer around them increases as well.
"The basic rule is, they can't fall over and be on anyone else's property," Miller said. "So, if they are 100 feet tall, they need to be at least 100 feet away from all of the property lines."
Councilors voted Monday to approve the zoning change allowing the windmills on first reading. They'll vote on it a second time on March 22.
"This doesn't mean that everyone is going to start installing electrical generating wind mills on their properties," Miller said. "But it means that they can. It's something that's an option now."
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where?
An address where this is proposed would be nice.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.A Discussion Begins
A discussion begins and it seems good. We need to have this kind of conversation, but be assured that much of what has been said here this morning is correct. Oil from the mid east buys bombs that kill American soldiers and the sooner we can get away from that link the better. Neighbors like their privacy and a windmill falling on top of their house somehow seems to violate this doesn't it. Keep in mind that what electricity that is not used by the consumer can be returned to the electric grid for credit which is a nice benefit. Roland Miller has it right for once. The property setback is important. I will be installing several on my house when they become more efficient and the size is down to that of todays tv dish antenna.
This I reason could be done effectively in all houses at a small size in America. Imagine the savings. A nation of windmills and no oil.... mind blowing... I look forward to living long enough to see it. Reason this with me.
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Reason you seem to be for wind mills but not the wind farms. I'm just wondering if any other source of energy would do or are you just sold on windmills.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Not the same thing.
Small, privately owned windmills are not the same thing as the 400 foot plus towers going up around the state - industrial wind towers.
If someone has the money to install one of these mini towers and realizes that wind is very erratic and has the means to do constant servicing and gets approval to put one up, let them fight it out with their neighbors when the blades ice up and throw off large chunks through anything in their path, then let 'em have their fun.
A good 16 inches of insulation in the attic will save about as much money, but then insulation can't be seen and bragged about. Not "sexy" enough. Yup, windmills are old fashioned and went out with the hoop skirt, save hardly anyone any money, but the bird kill is interesting.
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Where are they proposing this be built?
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.MR NORTHWOODS
DO YOU SUPPORT BIG OIL??? BY THE SOUNDS OF YOUR COMENT [[U]]] DO!!!ALL YOU PEOPLE THINK ABOUT IS WHAT WINDMILLS LOOK LIKE,WHAT ABOUT OUR GRAND CHILDREN AND ALL THE [ANIMALS] AND GOOD OLD MOTHER EARTH WHAT ABOUT HER HEALTH?????WHEN YOUR GONE MOTHER EARTH WILL STILL BE HERE.
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I thank you for the Mr. Northwoods so I will respond respectfully and try to answer your questions. I do have stock in oil companies but I do believe in finding a greener and better source of energy. I just don't think large scale windmills are the answer. I would much rather see the tax money going to fund wind farms, go towards make each house in Maine green. If the state would by a solar panel for each house in the state it would greatly reduce our dependecy on oil (not fact just theory but so is the windmills claims). Or how about hydro dams. Those are pretty common in Maine and seem to work pretty good around the world. Two last comments 1. the animals. Well there are animals in the areas around the state that will have the windmills. I think that those animals will leave those areas do to the windmills. Do to the lack of food and the "possiblity" of noise. 2. To be or not I make this suggestion to you in hope that you will not take this personal. When I read the "mother earth" part of your post the first thing that popped into my head was a long haired hippie. I do not mean that you are a hippie (I have never met you and don't know you) but the term is hippie-ish. I mean no disrespect maybe you could try to use terms like "earth" or "planet".
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Good the city of Auburn can have all the windmills.
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WOULD YOU RATHER SEE ANOTHER GAS STATION OR THIS ?I WOUL LOVE TO SEE A WIND MILL AND WHEN GOING UP I WILL BE WATCHING! i WOULD LOVE A WIND MILL IF I ONLY HAD THE MONEY.I AM IN A PERFECT SPOT FOR ONE..
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