Jan 8 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Joe Ferguson The Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff


Wind turbines nearly 100 feet tall could start appearing in industrial and commercial areas around Flagstaff in a just a few short months.

Likely candidates include parcels near the Flagstaff Mall and atop McMillan Mesa, where winds are the most consistent and speeds are highest.

The Flagstaff City Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Tuesday night that will allow the installation of wind turbines on lots as small as a half-acre, but not in residential zones.

Currently, the city's land development code is silent on wind turbines -- it doesn't specifically allow them nor does it forbid them.

The handful of wind turbines that have already been installed inside the city limits have been allowed by the city through a creative interpretation of existing zoning laws, said the city's code administrator, Roger Eastman.

The ordinance was opposed by two of the city's seven planning and zoning commissioners. Jim McCarthy was one of them.

"There are many areas of the city that are, in fact, residential, like the area just north (of downtown Flagstaff) that is zoned commercial," McCarthy told the council Tuesday. "In my view, the city's role in planning and zoning is that we should not allow people to do things that are completely inappropriate, not just rely on zoning."

The Southside and Sunnyside neighborhoods also have an underlying commercial zoning, according to a map provided by the city, despite sizable residential populations.

McCarthy said he fully supports the installation of industrial-scale wind turbines in Flagstaff, as long as neighbors are not subjected to the noise.

"They kind of have an eerie whine to them -- a Halloween sound," McCarthy said. "My first thought is that is fine for commercial and industrial areas, but completely inappropriate for residential areas."

Councilmember Joe Haughey, who sits on the Planning and Zoning Commission as a non-voting member, said he was pleased that businesses would be able to harness wind power.

"I think this a great opportunity for those that wanted it to be able to move ahead," Haughey said.

At least one of the auto dealers at the Flagstaff Mall, Planet Nissan, has expressed interest in placing a windmill on his property, city officials have said.

A wind resource map of Flagstaff, generated by an NAU professor, shows only small pockets wind resources sufficient to support a wind turbine. Those areas include east Flagstaff near the mall and a portion of McMillan Mesa.

Mayor Sara Presler, who pushed for staff to fast-track the ordinance, said she was pleased the ordinance passed unanimously.

"I am really excited about the opportunity to empower businesses to take advantage of the tax credits available and to take advantage of alternative energy," Presler said.

Andy Kruse, one of the founders of Southwest Windpower in west Flagstaff, estimated a net cost after tax credits and rebates of roughly $13,000 to buy and install one of the turbines his company sells here in Flagstaff.

The council will need to vote on the ordinance a final time in a few weeks before permits can be issued to install the wind turbines.

The installation of wind turbines in residential areas is expected to be reviewed by the council at a later date, perhaps as part of the planned revision of the city's land development code.

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