Twin Forks Wind Farm, LLC Macon County Special Use Permit
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Twin Forks Wind Farm, LLC Macon County Special Use Permit Application Submitted to Macon County, Illinois June 3rd, 2015 by Twin Forks Wind Farm, LLC 1 Twin Forks Wind Farm, LLC Special Use Permit Application Macon County, Illinois PROJECT FACTS ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS • Location – Macon County, IL Twin Forks Wind Farm will: • Nameplate Capacity – approx. 280 MW • Avoids the release of approx. 500,000 tons • Townships – Maroa, Austin, Illini, and of CO2 per year Hickory Point Townships • Displaces fossil fuel generation equivalent • Other Land Use – Agriculture to taking approx. 85,000 cars off the road • Development Start – Q4 2009 • Provide electrical power for the equivalent • Projected Investment – approx. $500 million of approximately 90,000 homes • Construction Target – 2016 • Avoids the release of approx. 2500 tons of • Turbine options being considered: SO2, the leading cause of acid rain Vestas V110-2.0MW • Diversify Indiana’s energy portfolio GE 1.79MW-100 Siemens 2.3 MW E.ON CLIMATE & RENEWABLES E.ON Climate & Renewables North America is a TWIN FORKS WIND FARM subsidiary of E.ON SE, one of the world’s largest Proposed to be located in Macon County, energy and investor-owned utility companies in Illinois, Twin Forks will bring approximately 280 the world. E.ON is also one of the world’s MW of renewable generation to Illinois largest owners of renewable power projects (assuming a 2.0 MW wind turbine). The project and continues to expand its wind, solar and will harness the inexhaustible wind alongside alternative energy portfolio. Having developed traditional crop production which will continue and constructed over 2,700 megawatts (MW) of on approximately 99% of the land area. wind projects in the United States, E.ON is one of the most experienced renewable power • Projected total acres – ~over 24,000 companies in the industry. • Signed Landowners - ~over 180 OUR PROJECTS BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY E.ON currently owns and operates 19 wind Wind power development has brought farms in Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Pennsylvania, economic benefits to many communities and New York with over 2,700 MW of capacity. throughout the United States, providing jobs, E.ON has built and operates 2 wind farms in landowner revenues, and taxes that have Illinois (Ford and Iroquois County). E.ON contributed significantly to the quality of life. constructed three projects in 2012, including • Construction Jobs – approx. 140 full-time Wildcat Phase I in Madison and Tipton Counties, equivalents Indiana, Magic Valley in Whitley County, Texas • Operations Jobs – approx. 10 full time, and Anacacho wind farm in Kinney County, local positions throughout the life of the Texas. In 2014, E.ON constructed Grandview project wind farm in Carson County, Texas. E.ON has • Landowner Royalties – yearly payments numerous projects under development across and significant added value to farmland the country • Property Taxes Revenue – Estimated Tax revenue payments of $46 million to Macon County over 30 years 2 Twin Forks Wind Farm, LLC Special Use Permit Application Macon County, Illinois PLANNING & ZONING DEPARTMENT 141 South Main Street, Suite 501 Decatur, Illinois 62523 217.424.1466 (voice) 217.424.1459 (fax) PETITION FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT This petition is hereby submitted to the Zoning Administrator and the Zoning Board of Appeals of Macon County, Illinois to request a Special Use Permit. Failure to provide any of the following requested information may result in a delay of processing this petition until that time when the requested information is provided. Part A Petitioner Information* FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Name: Twin Forks Wind Farm, LLC. Filed: Address: c/o E.ON Climate & Renewables North America, LLC th 353 North Clark Street, 30 Floor Chicago, IL 60654 Phone: 312-923-9463 Current Zoning: By: Signature: ______________________________ *The petitioners are the principals. They are acting on their own behalf, not in conjunction with any agent, company, corporation or firm and are not a business operating under an assumed name, a partnership, joint venture, syndicate or unincorporated voluntary association. Part B Property Information Legal Description: See Appendix B of attached Macon County Special Use Permit Application. Address or Location: See Appendix B of attached Application. Tax ID Number: See Appendix B of attached Application. Acreage: See Appendix B of attached Application. 3 Twin Forks Wind Farm, LLC Special Use Permit Application Macon County, Illinois Please answer the following questions in Parts C and D to the best of your ability. These questions address the criteria that the Zoning Board of Appeals reviews when considering the request for a Special Use Permit. Failure to answer or adequately address any of these issues may be detrimental to your petition. Please feel free to attach additional pages as necessary for your responses. Part C Purpose of the Special Use Permit What is the specific purpose of the proposed Special Use on the property in question? Applicant is seeking a special use permit approval from Macon County to construct and operate a utility scale wind farm that consists of up to 140 LWECS, consisting of wind turbine generators and associated roads, underground collection lines, an overhead transmission line, a collector substation, a switching station, operations and maintenance facility, ancillary facilities and temporary sites for staging, laying down equipment and preparing concrete. This wind farm will supply energy to the electrical grid and provide an additional source of renewable energy to the state of Illinois. See the attached Macon County Special Use Permit Application. Part D Standards for Special Use 1. What would be the impact of the proposed Special Use on the public health, safety, welfare or morals within the surrounding area? See the attached Macon County Special Use Permit Application. 2. How would the proposed Special Use impact the use, enjoyment or value of property in the surrounding area? See the attached Macon County Special Use Permit Application. 3. How would the proposed Special Use impact the normal and orderly development and improvement of property in surrounding area? See the attached Macon County Special Use Permit Application. 4 Twin Forks Wind Farm, LLC Special Use Permit Application Macon County, Illinois 4. Are there adequate utilities and facilities in place for the proposed Special Use? How would the proposed Special Use impact the utilities and facilities in the surrounding area? See the attached Macon County Special Use Permit Application. 5. What would be the impact of the proposed Special Use on traffic in the area? Are any measures being taken to address ingress and egress to the proposed use? See the attached Macon County Special Use Permit Application. 6. Would the proposed Special Use conform to all of the other regulations of the Macon County Zoning Ordinance, as well as all applicable state and local laws and regulations? Yes. See the attached Macon County Special Use Permit Application. Part E Other Petition Information Please feel free to attach any additional documentation that you wish in order to help explain your petition. Some examples of such information are: maps, photographs, letters of support, building schematics, survey of land, statistical data, case law, etc. See the attached Macon County Special Use Permit Application. Part F Other Administrative Information Property Owner (If different than petitioner) Legal Representative (Optional) Name: See Appendix B of attached Application Name: ________________________ Address: See Appendix B of attached Application Address: ________________________ Phone: See Appendix B of attached Application Phone: ________________________ Signature: See Appendix B of attached Application Signature: ________________________ NOTE: The petitioner is responsible for the cost of the required legal publication for the hearing. A billing statement will be issued by the Macon County Planning and Zoning Department, and proof of payment must be received before the date of the hearing. Non-payment of the legal notice fees will result in the petition being continued to the following month. A COPY OF THE PROPERTY DEED MUST BE ATTACHED TO THIS PETITION. Please feel free to contact the Macon County Planning and Zoning Department if you feel you need any assistance in completing this petition. Copies of the Macon County Zoning Ordinance can be purchased at the Macon County Clerk’s office for $5.00 (five dollars). 5 Twin Forks Wind Farm, LLC Special Use Permit Application Macon County, Illinois MACON COUNTY PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT Macon County Office Building PHONE: (217) 424-1466 141 South Main Street, Suite 501 FAX: (217) 424-1459 Decatur, Illinois 62523 Instructions for Petitioners Requesting Rezoning, Special Use Permit or Variance In order to obtain a change in zoning, a special use permit, or a variance, you must obtain a petition, on the appropriate form, to the Macon County Planning and Zoning Department. A petitioner may submit maps, data, or other supplemental information that would be beneficial in explaining the intent or justifying the reason for the zoning action. It is required that the present owner of the property be involved in any petition concerning that property. If someone other than the owner is filing a petition (i.e., a renter or a prospective buyer), the signature of the property owner must be included on the petition to show that the owner supports the proposed zoning action. The petition application must be completed in its entirety. Failure to complete any aspect of the application may result in a delay of the petition until that time when the missing information is provided. The completed petition must be accompanied by check- payable to Macon County Treasurer- for the appropriate filing fee. The filing fee is nonrefundable. After the Planning and Zoning Department receives a complete petition, a hearing before the Macon County Zoning Board or Appeals (ZBA) will be scheduled. At least 15 days before the hearing, a notice of the hearing will be placed in the Decatur Herald & Review newspaper (legal ads) indicating the day the hearing will be held.