The city council, at its Jan. 12 meeting, unanimously passed the ordinance which is a much simpler version of the one proposed to the city’s planning commission late last summer.

The previous version was based on the ordinance recently enacted in the City of Norton Shores.

It specifically addressed designs of wind turbines, noise limits, setbacks and decommissioning.

The approved ordinance doesn’t address a specific noise limit, nor does it regulate the decommissioning of wind turbine equipment.

However, according to City Manager Scott Huebler, the city plans to address the noise issue in a review of noise issues in related city ordinances.

Residents and businesses can now erect wind turbines and solar panels and geothermal equipment to generate power from natural resources.

Before an ordinance was passed the city manager said alternative energy facilities were not allowed because the city’s zoning ordinance didn’t address them.

Tanya Cabala, city council and planning commission member, approved the latest version even though she said she would like to see a noise standard and decommissioning regulations.

“A (noise) standard can give objectivity if there is a dispute.”

Cabala said if abandoned wind turbines are treated like other deteriorating structures in the city, she is concerned that they might become eyesores in the city landscape.

The previous week (Jan. 5), the Planning Commission voted to recommend passage of the renewable energy ordinance to the city council.

The planners, at that meeting, voted to incorporate definitions for private and commercial applications into the ordinance provided by Dave Roodvoets of Montague, an independent consultant who has been following development of the alternative energy ordinance and who is involved in a local green energy group, called WINDS.

Private applications, according to the new ordinance, are renewable energy sources, equipment and facilities whose primary purpose is to supply on-site energy needs, but can be connected to the commercial power grid.

Commercial applications’ primary purpose is to supply energy to the commercial power grid.

Private renewable energy applications will be allowed by right as an accessory use in all residential districts. Applications will not be allowed in the front yards, however, and they must have a setback from the nearest property line of 1.1 times the height of the equipment.

Commercial applications will be allowed by right as an accessory use in all commercial and lakefront recreational districts, subject to regulations in a particular district. Applications cannot be in the front yard and are subject to Planning Commission approval.

In Industrial districts, private renewable energy applications will be allowed by right, but a commercial application will be allowed by special use permit only in an M2 districts on parcels no less than 20 acres in size.

Any equipment exceeding the height requirement of a particular district must have a special use permit. Under no circumstance will equipment or facility exceed 200 feet in height. The height limit in residential areas is 35 feet.

Renewable energy equipment and facilities cannot be artificially lighted except to meet local, state or federal regulations.

Other regulations in the ordinance are: no advertising shall be displayed on equipment or facilities; all transmission lines will be placed underground; shadow flicker or vibration cannot be detectable off site to an extent as to cause a nuisance; reasonable efforts must be made to avoid signal interference, disruption, or loss of radio, telephone, television or similar signals; and all wind turbines must be equipped with over braking systems.