Commissioners approve language for Props 1 and 2

 

BY KATE HESSLING

Tribune Staff Writer

BAD AXE — Huron County commissioners on Tuesday approved the official language of two ballot proposals for the Nov. 2 general election, in which voters within the county’s zoning jurisdiction will decide the fate of two new wind districts.

The first proposal asks voters to decide either “yes” or “no” on allowing a wind district in Bloomfield, Rubicon and Sigel townships.

“Shall the Huron County Zoning Ordinance be amended, as described in Zoning Amendment 2010-03, to allow a wind energy overlay district in portions of Bloomfield, Rubicon and Sigel townships, generally bound by Kinde Road on the north, Iseler Road on the west, Port Hope Road on the east and M-142 (Sand Beach Road) on the south?” Proposal 1 reads.

The second proposal asks voters to decide either “yes” or “no” on allowing a wind district in McKinley Township .

“Shall the Huron County Zoning Ordinance be amended, as described in Zoning Amendment 2010-04, to allow a wind energy overlay district in McKinley Township , generally bounded by Filion Road on the north, Caseville Road on the west, Gagetown Road on the east and Campbell Road on the south?” Proposal 2 reads.

The Huron County Board of Commissioners approved zoning amendments 2010-03 and 2010-04 July 6, following a public hearing the board held to receive input on the creation of two new wind districts, which could add about 50 new turbines in the area.

The first district is a roughly 34-square mile area in Bloomfield, Rubicon and Sigel townships. The district was requested by Heritage Sustainable Energy and DTE Energy for a proposed development project officials previously noted is between 60 and 80 megawatts, and could easily fit between 30 and 40 wind turbines.

The second district, which was requested by DTE Energy, is a roughly 4.25square mile area in the southeasterly corner of McKinley Township , for a proposed project that is between roughly 15 and 20 megawatts. Project officials previously explained that if the project uses 2 megawatt turbines, it will consist of between seven to 10 turbines, or it will consist of between six to eight turbines if it uses 2.5 megawatt turbines.

The ordinances creating the districts were published July 9, however, they currently are not in effect because a notice of intent to file for a referendum was submitted to the Huron County Clerk’s Office July 13 by Sigel Township resident Mildred Duda.

Speaking on behalf of her mother, Diane Duda Torres, of Vero Beach , Fla. , previously told the Tribune that Mildred Duda’s motive in seeking the ballot referendums is to give people a say in this issue.

“It’s important to the future in general for people to have a voice in their own space,” Torres said in a July 16 interview.

Per Michigan’s Zoning Enabling Act, once the notice of intent to file a petition seeking a referendum had been submitted, the ordinances could not go into effect until a petition was submitted and deemed inadequate, or deemed adequate and then a vote of the people approved the ordinances.

In this instance, Carl Duda, on behalf of Mildred Duda, filed two petitions seeking ballot referendums on the two zoning ordinances on Aug. 6. The first petition, which sought a referendum on the zoning ordinance creating the wind district in Bloomfield, Rubicon and Sigel townships, had 977 signatures, said Huron County Clerk Peggy Koehler. The second petition, which was for the ordinance creating the district in McKinley Township , had 960 signatures.

Less than a week after the petitions were submitted, Koehler reviewed the signatures and deemed both petitions to be adequate, meaning at least 608 names on each petition were those of persons who are registered voters in the county’s zoning jurisdiction, which does not include cities and villages, nor townships that are not under county zoning.

Townships that are under the county’s zoning jurisdiction include Bingham, Bloomfield, Dwight, Fairhaven, Gore, Grant, Hume, Lincoln, McKinley, Rubicon, Sheridan, Sherman, Sigel and Winsor.

Area townships that are not under county zoning include Lake, Caseville, Paris , Verona , Brookfield , Sebewaing, Chandler , Colfax, Meade, Oliver, Huron, Sand Beach , Pte. Aux Barques and Port Austin, according to the Huron County Building and Zoning Office. Residents in those townships, as well as those living in cities and villages, were not eligible to sign the petitions, nor will they be allowed to vote on the proposals during the Nov. 2 general election.

Now the Huron County Commissioners approved the official language of the two proposals, the wording will be submitted to the Huron County Clerk’s Office to be put on ballots in each of the 14 townships (excluding cities and villages within those 14 townships) that are under county zoning.

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