Plan Commission sending wind turbine proposal to City Council

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Updated: September 6, 2011 12:16AM

Jason Morin, owner of Brighton Car Wash at 952 W. 75th St., will get his chance to take his plan to erect a 32.5-foot wind turbine on the property to the full Naperville City Council.

The Naperville Plan Commission approved sending his plan to the City Council, but not without serious dissent.

“This is not sustainable energy,” Commissioner John Herzog said before the vote, stressing that Naperville already acquired energy from commercial wind farms. Herzog said, “Coal plants are not going to burn any less coal” because of Morin’s wind turbine.

Morin estimated the project would cost around $40,000 to complete, some of which will come from government grants: $2,500 from the federal government, about $10,000 from the state of Illinois and $10,000 from the city of Naperville under its Greener Business Program of providing matching grants for businesses installing green energy initiatives.

Greg Bruno, who joined Herzog in dissent, raised safety concerns about drivers being distracted.

“That’s an area where people will be doing a lot of stopping and turning,” Bruno said.

Bruno asked Morin if he could move the tower back away from 75th Street, but Morin said it would take away from the property’s parking capacity.

Bruno stressed solar panels would be a far better fit for the area, at one point saying the tower would “be an eyesore.”

Morin said he planned to use more solar energy when his current system was paid for.

Other commissioners and city staff were behind the plan.

“I applaud you for going in the direction of being green,” Commissioner Patricia Gustin said. Gustin pointed out that the city ordinance did not set a specific amount on how much energy had to be produced by a green initiative.

“It doesn’t say how much (energy had to be produced),” she said.

City Planner Suzanne Thorsen agreed.

“They need to prove it’s an alternative energy system,” she said, not meet a specific standard.

Plan Commission member Ann Edmonds agreed that the proposal met the intent of the program. She also didn’t see a problem concerning traffic.

“I cannot see that as any kind of traffic hazard,” she said, asking staff for its opinion.

Thorsen said that staff had studied the traffic issue and didn’t see a problem.

Resident Brent Davis spoke against the plan, noting that Naperville’s sign ordinance prohibited signs that twirled and swirled the way a wind turbine would.

Thorsen said that staff didn’t see a conflict with the sign ordinance.

“This is not a sign,” she said. “It’s a utility structure.”

Resident Bethany Peter spoke in support, saying, “Why not try it in our back yard?” Edmonds had the final word in the discussion, saying, “We’re not here to draft a definition ... we had professionals from our city staff (investigate) and found no safety concerns.”

Morin walked away happy that his plan was going forward.

“I feel damn glad,” he said.