Town of Saratoga
Local Law No. 3 for the Year 2008
Wind Energy Conversion Systems
Be it enacted by the Town Board of the Town of Saratoga, as
follows:
Section 1. Appendix
A of the Zoning Regulations of the
Town of Saratoga (Section 400 et.seq. of the Town of Saratoga Code) is hereby
amended to add the following definitions in alphabetical order:
WECS – Any mechanism designed for the purpose of converting wind
energy into
electrical energy.
WECS, Commercial – A WECS that is the prime use on a parcel of land
and supplies
electrical power for off-site use.
WECS, Noncommercial – A WECS that is incidental and subordinate to
another use on
the same parcel and supplies electrical power solely for on-site
use, except that when a
parcel on which a noncommercial WECS is installed also receives
electrical power
supplied by a utility company, excess electrical power generated
by the noncommercial
WECS and not presently needed for on-site use may be used by the
utility company in
exchange for a reduction in the cost of electrical power supplied
by that company to the
parcel for on-site use.
Section 2. Article
IV of the Zoning Regulations of the Town of Saratoga is hereby amended by
adding Section 400-16.1 as follows:
Wind Energy Conversion
Systems
A. Purpose.
For the purpose of protecting the general public of the Town of
Saratoga and properties adjacent to Wind Energy Conversion Systems
(WECS)
from indiscriminate placement, and related health and safety
problems, the
following rules and regulations shall apply.
B. Definitions – See Appendix A.
C. Regulations
– Noncommercial WECS shall be allowed by special use permit
in any zoning district; commercial WECS are a prohibited use in
all zoning districts of the Town. All WECS shall conform to the following
regulations.
D. Application
- An applicant for a special use permit for a WECS shall submit a site plan to the Planning Board,
which meets the requirements of Section
400-32, together with an
application fee of $200. In addition,
the following information shall be submitted and prepared:
1 )A site plan drawn in
sufficient detail to show the following:
a) Location of the tower(s) on the site and the
tower height,
including blades, rotor diameter and ground clearance.
15
b) Utility lines, both above and below ground,
within a
radius equal to the proposed tower height, including
blades.
c) Property lot lines and the location and
dimensions of all
existing structures and uses on site within 500 feet of the
system.
d) Surrounding land use and all structures within
500 feet of
the WECS location.
e) Dimensional representation of the various
structural
components of the tower construction, including the base
and footing.
f) Design data indicating the basis of design,
including
manufacturer’s dimensional drawings and installation and
operation instructions.
g) For any tower exceeding 50 feet in height
(not including blades),
certification by a
registered professional engineer or a manufacturer’s
certification that the tower design is sufficient to withstand wind-load
requirements for structures as established by the New York State
Uniform
Fire Prevention and Building Code.
2) A
Short Form EAF shall be required for a noncommercial WECS.
E. Setback. The minimum required setback for any WECS tower from
property lines, overhead utility lines, or other WECS shall be
equal to 1.5 times
the proposed structure
height, including blades.
F. Noise. WECS towers shall be properly maintained and operated at all
times and shall be located with relation to property lines so that
the noise
produced during operation shall not exceed fifty (50) dbA,
measured at
the boundaries of all of contiguous parcels that are owned by
non-site
owners.
G. Electromagnetic
Interference. WECS generators and alternators shall be
properly filtered and/or shielded in order to avoid
electromagnetic interference
and shall comply with the rules and regulations of the Federal
Communications
Commission contained in 47 CFR Parts 15 and 18.
I. Safety.
1) No WECS shall be permitted that lack an automatic
braking, governing, or feathering system to prevent uncontrolled rotation,
overspeeding, and excessive pressure on the tower
structure, rotor blades, and turbine components.
2) The minimum distance between the ground and
any part of the rotor blade system shall be thirty (30) feet, except in the
case of a roof- mounted WECS.
3) The Permittee shall meet all FAA requirements
as to lighting.
J. Height.
1) Noncommercial WECS shall
not exceed a total height of 100 feet, including rotor blade.
K.Visual.
The Planning Board in its discretion may require the applicant to undertake a
visual impact assessment. This may include such maps, photos, computer-enhanced
photos, or other materials as are reasonably necessary to assist the Board in
evaluating visual impact. No individual
WECS shall be installed at any location which, in the opinion of the Board, would
substantially detract from or block the view from a scenic vista or scenic
corridor.
L. Aesthetics. No advertising signs or
language may appear on any WECS tower or blade. A WECS shall be painted in
neutral colors only.
Section 3.
This Local Law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the
Secretary of State of
the State of New York.