Boone County planning officials send permit for power plant to full board
Wednesday
Posted Feb 1, 2017 at 9:52 PM Updated Feb 1, 2017 at 9:52 PMBy Susan Vela
Staff writer
BELVIDERE - A special-use permit for the construction of a 450-megawatt natural-gas-fired "peaker" power plant is once again on its way to the Boone County Board for consideration.
Garden Prairie residents opposed to the $160 million to $180 million project promise to attend the Feb. 15 session.
Several spoke against the project that would go up on agricultural property east of Garden Prairie Road and south of Interstate 90 at this evening's Planning, Zoning and Building Committee meeting.
Their opposition seemed to work. The committee voted 3-2 to deny the special-use permit. County planning commissioners and the Zoning Board of Appeals had voted to recommend approval of the permit.
"The board is protecting us landowners," said Donna Zuidema, who lives within a quarter mile of the project. "I'm all for peaker plants. Don't get me wrong. But it belongs in an industrial area."
Residents have concerns about the power plant's potential noise, lights and pollution to their water source.
Power Ventures' 2009 permit for a similar project expired four years ago. In documents submitted to the county, officials said their latest designs would include three larger turbines, rather than the 12 reciprocating engines in their original plan.
The new application for the Garden Prairie Energy Facility reflects the use of state-of-the-art technology, according to county documents.
If approved, the facility would have to be in operation by 2020. Otherwise, the permit would expire again.
Susan Vela: 815-987-1392; svela@rrstar.com; @susanvela
Above is from: http://www.rrstar.com/news/20170201/boone-county-planning-officials-send-permit-for-power-plant-to-full-board
Boone County Board delays vote on special-use permit for 450-megawatt power plant
Wednesday
Posted Jan 18, 2017 at 9:51 PM Updated Jan 18, 2017 at 9:51 PMBy Susan Vela
Staff writer
BELVIDERE - The Boone County Board passed on considering a special-use permit for the construction of a 450-megawatt, natural-gas-fired "peaker" power plant in eastern Boone County tonight.
Members followed Administrator Ken Terrinoni's advice and sent Power Ventures LLC's request to planning commissioners. The request will return to zoning officials before revisiting the board on Feb. 15, Terrinoni said.
The permit hasn't gone before the planning commission yet because of a ruling years ago that commissioners didn't have to review special-use permits.
Terrinoni, though, wanted the planning commission involved in the power plant's request.
"To take all the questions out of it, it's just going to go through the process again," Terrinoni said.
Power Ventures is a Missouri company that wants to build a $160 million to $180 million facility east of Garden Prairie Road and south of Interstate 90.
The board granted Power Ventures a permit for similar plans in 2009 but the permit expired in 2013. Its latest designs would include three larger turbines, rather than the 12 reciprocating engines in their original plan.
Susan Vela: 815-987-1392;
Above is from: http://www.rrstar.com/news/20170118/boone-county-board-delays-vote-on-special-use-permit-for-450-megawatt-power-plant
