ARCHBOLD WEATHER

Council Grants Permit For Wind Test Tower





Archbold Village Council granted the Archbold Area School District a conditional use permit to construct a wind test tower on property at the new Archbold Evangelical Church.

The new church building is going up on land south and west of the Archbold High School. The tower will be on the northwest corner of the property.

Archbold Planning Commission initially discussed the tower Monday, Feb. 25, and later voted to recommend the test tower to council.

During council discussion of the conditional use permit, David Deskins, school district superintendent, said support for a potential wind turbine project has been coming in faster than anticipated.

The district is in line for $125,000 in state money, which can be held for up to two years. The money, he said, can be used as matching funds for other grants.

The Tower

Green Energy Ohio is loaning the school district a 50- meter (164.04 feet) temporary meteorological tower.

The tower, an open-girder type with guy wires, will have instruments to measure wind speed and direction at 30 meters (98.43 feet), 40 meters (131.23 feet), and at the top.

Deskins said GEO recommends leaving the tower in place to collect data for a year to 16 months, but the school district has asked GEO to limit the project to 12 months.

The planning commissioner placed a provision in the conditional use permit, calling for the tower to be removed after 18 months.

Jim Wyse, Archbold mayor, said the wind test tower “is almost like a weather station.”

Larger

In response to a question, Deskins said the goal of the wind power project has grown from a local plan to cut electricity costs, to a county- and statewide program involving the Pettisville Local School District and Northwest State Community College.

Deskins said he also has been in contract with officials from Bowling Green State University.

“Our focus has become much larger,” Deskins said.

The conditional use permit passed on a unanimous vote of council.

During the same meeting, council held a second reading on a proposed ordinance regulating wind turbines in the village limits.

The third reading and a council vote will come at the next meeting, Monday night, June 16, in the Council Chambers.- David Pugh


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