Petitioners hope to block wind turbines in Douglas County

LAWRENCE, Kan. – You’ll see wind turbines driving across certain rural parts of Kansas and Missouri. But they could be coming a little closer to the Kansas City metro.

Dozens of Douglas County homeowners spoke out at a meeting in Lawrence Wednesday against a possible plan to add them.

The homeowners said it wasn’t a debate about clean or alternative energy, but making sure there are stringent regulations in place if it indeed is coming here. Though after about three hours of public comment overwhelming against the a handful of clean energy supporters spoke virtually saying stringent regulations would be a devastating blow to energy companies.

Dawn Huddleston and her family have lived in Southwest Douglas County a couple miles south of Lonestar Lake for generations.

“We have been stewards of the land for six generations and what is being proposed involves stripping the land and pouring concrete piers,’ she said.

According to County leaders there’s no application to install wind turbines. But opponents have been tracking on a map which neighbors they say have signed agreements to be compensated for installing the up to 600 foot turbines on their land. They say those turbines could negatively impact property value and their health.

“A representative from the county said it would be like a dishwasher. We all live with sounds of things like running dishwashers. But you can imagine standing out here and hearing a constant roar sounds like a running dishwasher its quite different than a few minutes while your dishes are washing,” Huddleston said.

Now Douglas County is looking to update regulations on wind turbines passed back in 2017, None have been built in the county before or since.

“I know how hard it is to get the county to move forward on any type of issue and I can’t imagine they are doing this without an applicant,” Ralph Bauer said.

Fourteen-hundred signatures were submitted at Wednesday’s meeting asking the turbines be banned.

“I’m a firm believer in residential wind and solar, but when we get into the industrial part of solar and wind I’m not for it . It effects too many people pollutants in the ground all the concrete the steel just so many things,” John Landon said.

And if the turbines are not banned altogether most speakers during nearly four hours of public comment wanted the Douglas County Commission to uphold recommendations made by planning and zoning in January of a 2,500 foot setback from any property that hasn’t signed a deal to install one on their land.

‘I am in favor of making these regulations very stringent to keep these menaces out of the county,” Jay Kauffman said.

There was also discussion among county leaders whether it should be changed to 1500 feet from any home.

“I was figuring 5 or 6 (turbines) with the 2,500 foot setback. If it goes down to 1,500 I can not even tell you it could be a lot more,” Huddleston said.

Wind Energy regulations were the only item on the agenda for the 5:30 p.m. meeting.

Commissioners ended up beginning their discussion about 10:15 p.m. Early portions of the meeting were disrupted when Commissioners asked then required a man with a sign critical of one of the commissioner to move out of the path to the microphone and away from county staff.

Justin Spiehs was ultimately arrested and booked on interfering with conduct of a public meeting when he declined to move after they resumed the meeting following a recess.

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