A new Linn County zoning ordinance amendment governing the siting of gas-fired electrical power plants in the county’s rural areas was further amended by the Board of Supervisors Wednesday – and another amendment may be added during the ordinance’s third reading next week, raising the possibility of a fourth reading before the ordinance gets final approval.
The zoning amendment, which would add gas-fired power plants as an allowable use in the county’s new EU-2 zoning designation while adding a series of zoning conditions, is intended to create specific standards for the proposed locations of natural gas power plant projects.
In addition to a range of setback requirements from neighboring properties, the amendment also adds standards for noise, airport safety areas, air quality, impacts on roads, and what information must be included in applications for new plants.
Two ordinance amendments were already approved by supervisors during the ordinance’s first reading Monday, March 9. The ordinance specifies a 2.25-mile setback distances from cities and population, but one amendment approved Monday provides a potential 25% reduction in the setback distance under certain circumstances – a move that supervisors said added some “flexibility” on the standard.
A second amendment will require a waste management plan for gas-fired power plant construction projects. The amendment’s verbiage is similar to that approved for the county’s data center ordinance, requiring developers to document the estimated values and types of material to be generated during construction; identification of materials proposed for recycling, salvage and reuse; designated recycling disposal facilities, procedures for on-site, material separation and storage; and documentation requirements for final disposal or diversion.
Linn County Planning and Development director Charlie Nichols said the amendment was based on concerns raised by Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency officials, who said waste materials from the two data center construction projects in Cedar Rapids weren’t being segregated for recycling, resulting in a substantial waste stream for the landfill.
Mr. Nichols introduced two new amendments to the ordinance at Wednesday’s meeting, both recommended by county staff.
One new amendment modifies the ordinance’s Host Community Agreement, clarifying that the HCA specifically addresses land use impacts and that “costs or compensation in the host community agreement can vary from site to site, so one site might not have the same host community agreement as another site, and it’s based on site-specific cause project constraints.”
That amendment was unanimously approved by the board with little discussion.
The second amendment, however, generated some additional discussion. Requested by Alliant Energy in an email Monday night, the amendment would allow property owners adjacent to a gas-fired power plant proposal to agree to a waiver for a lower setback than outlined in the ordinance. Those setbacks are prescribed at 200 feet from property lines and 1,000 feet from dwellings or places of public assembly, such as churches or schools.
Supervisors said they wanted to hear more from Alliant Energy about the reasons for the request, and that county residents should have the opportunity to react, and make public comment, on the amendment as well, since it was suggested “at the last minute.”
That information is expected to be shared during the ordinance’s third reading next Wednesday, March 18.
Board chair Kirsten Running-Marquardt said the existing setback distances were included in the ordinance to “to protect those entities,” and that she doesn’t plan to support the proposed waiver.
“It was Alliant” that asked for the change, she said. “It wasn’t the public that brought this up, (and) we haven’t had comments from the public saying these setbacks are too stringent for homes and for places of worship or schools and other places of assembly.”
She also said the change wouldn’t impact Alliant’s plans for a gas-fired power plant northwest of Fairfax.
“I also understand this is a mechanism for some of these neighbors, schools, churches, to receive possible financial compensation or other considerations,” she said. “I do believe, though, that Alliant could be a good neighbor and give financial contributions to neighbors … in my opinion, we do not need to make this change and further erode the protections that we’re putting in place for something that is not needed for a project to move forward.”
If the waiver were approved as part of the ordinance’s third reading, Mr. Nichols said he would recommend a fourth reading of the ordinance to “incorporate it in and tie it all together.”
Mr. Nichols also acknowledged a resolution approved by the Fairfax City Council Tuesday night, expressing “strong opposition” to the overall ordinance and noting that “this amendment as written poses serious concerns with land use compatibility, proximity to population centers, infrastructure impacts and long-term community impacts.”
Alliant Energy has announced plans to pursue a new site near Fairfax for a proposed natural gas-fired power plant, after a previous proposal to build the plant in the Fairfax city limits was dropped amid community pushback and safety concerns raised by the Eastern Iowa Airport.
