The Linn County Planning and Zoning Commission has forwarded a proposed zoning amendment for natural gas power plants to the Board of Supervisors for consideration – one that now includes a reduced setback recommendation from population centers.
The zoning amendment, which would add gas-fired power plants as an allowable use in the county’s new EU-2 zoning designation, was first discussed by the Planning and Zoning Commission in January, but some commission members felt the ordinance’s proposed 2.25-mile setback from population centers was overly restrictive and arbitrary. The commission asked county staff to investigate setbacks in similar ordinances in other parts of the country.
But in his presentation to the commission Monday night, Feb. 16, Linn County Planning and Development director Charlie Nichols said his research suggested that most natural gas power plant ordinances nationwide included population center setbacks ranging from 200 feet to 1,200 feet.
“I have not seen anything in the 2.25 mile range, particularly for ordinances that are meant to actually have facilities built within the area,” Mr. Nichols said.
Commission member Diane Brecht suggested a smaller setback of 1,000 to 1,300 feet from population centers.
Conversely, Jeff Knier, vice president of operations support for Alliant Energy, which is pursuing a new gas-fired power plant near Cedar Rapids, told the commission the company has “taken numerous steps to secure a site that will be compatible with the proposed 2.25-mile setback, and are now ready to move forward to ensure we can continue to support energy needs and sustain growth in the region.”
After discussion, the board voted unanimously to recommend a one-mile setback from population centers as a “middle ground.”
The ordinance will also include setbacks of 1,000 feet from occupied structures in rural Linn County and 200 feet from rural property lines.
As with previous zoning amendments, the natural gas-fired power plant amendment is intended to create specific standards for proposed natural gas power plant projects. In addition to the setbacks, the amendment also adds standards for noise, airport safety areas, impacts on roads, and what information must be included in applications.
According to county officials, the goal of the ordinance “to create clear and consistent rules that help power plants fit with nearby land uses and account for the long-term impacts of large energy facilities, while maintaining consistency with the Development Guidance portion of Linn County’s Comprehensive Plan.”
The new amendment must be approved in three readings by the Board of Supervisors before becoming official county policy.
