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In April 2019, the Reno County Planning Commission voted and made a recommendation to the County Commission to reject the developer's CUP application for a permit to erect 88 wind turbines in Southeast Reno County and install the associated utilities.

On 6/11/2019:  Reno County Commissioners voted to accept the protest petitions (needed a 20% minimum and have at least 46%).  This means the CUP application had to be unanimously approved  by all three county commissioners.  Thank you to all land owners who helped with the protest petitions!

6/11/2019 Hutch News article regarding the county's decision to accept the protest petitions:

 https://www.hutchnews.com/news/20190611/county-finds-protest-petition-on-nextera-project-valid 

On 6/13/2019:  County Commissioners' meeting where the three Commissioners voted 2:1  for the CUP application, however, the decision was not unanimous, the application was rejected.  The next step may be an appeal by the applicant, which would be determined in a court of law.

On 07/02/2019: Nextera filed an appeal.    They are going to try and invalidate as many protest petitions as they can in order to overthrow the necessity of the super majority.

Please let the commission and planning board know that we would like to see proper limited zoning move ahead quickly. It is imperative to protect the people and assets of the county. Address your email to:
Mark.vonachen@renogov.org
And cc:
Bob.bush@renogov.org
Ron.sellers@renogov.org
Ron.hirst@renogov.org

We all know that developers move in quickly and quietly. If a developer only wants to use un-zoned ground, that project could be built with little to no consultation from the county. To say that the county has no knowledge of another project may be true, but if you look at a lease map, they already have a good start with eases in the un-zoned area around Pretty Prairie. Why would they need these leases if the original project was always going to stay north and east of the lake? 

We need zoning now.

88 GE wind turbines most of which 500 feet tall (over 17% taller than Kingman/Pratt county turbines), access roads, collection station, and transmission lines were part of the proposed project.   A 138kV transmission line would have routed from the turbines' collection substation in Reno county to the Gordon Evans substation Northeast of Colwich.

The transmission line was to be planned and paid for by the developer, not allowed to use imminent domain.

Southeast Reno County residents and the communities of Andale, Haven, Mount Hope, and St. Joe, Ost would have been most impacted.

There are several informational article links on this page as well as a lot of information on the internet regarding wind turbine proximity to residents and adverse impacts.  While "anything" can be found on the internet, a general consensus can be formed.  Consider several adverse impacts such as infrasound-related health concerns (noise below what we can hear <20Hz), consistent & inconsistent audible noises, shadow flicker, reflection, and how our area is more populated than almost all other USA wind turbine projects.  The area would continue to grow if not impacted by turbines.  Our duration of exposure to active turbines would be greater than other locations.

We are not against wind energy, but against the irresponsible siting of such facilities .

This map was provided by the developer months ago to show the developer's proposed plan in SE Reno County.  

It is not in proximity to Pretty Prairie as some media have stated (likely because the name was changed to "Pretty Prairie Wind Farm Project"), but would be 4 miles West of Andale, Southwest of Mount Hope, South of Haven, and North of St. Joe, Ost.

Reno County has been wonderful about providing feedback.  When writing to the county, please include ALL of these contacts.

Ron.Hirst@renogov.org - County Commissioner

Ron.Sellers@renogov.org - County Commissioner

Bob.bush@renogov.org - County Commissioner

Gary.Meagher@renogov.org - County Commission Administrator

Mark.Vonachen@renogov.org - Planning Commission Administrator 

planningcommissioners@renogov.org - Planning Commission  

District map

jack.thimesch@house.ks.gov  - District 114 (Arlington, Nickerson, Partridge, South Hutchinson)

joe.seiwert@house.ks.gov - District 101 (Haven, Yoder, Pretty Prairie, St Joe)

Paul.Waggoner@house.ks.gov District 104 (Buhler, Medora)

steve.huebert@house.ks.gov - District 90 (Andale, Mount Hope)

Jason.Probst@house.ks.gov - District 102 (Hutchinson)

Sedgwick County

District 3 map

David.Dennis@sedgwick.gov - District 3 Commissioner

https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/commissioners/ - County Commissioner Website