The Henderson City-County Planning Commission approved a change in the schedule of public hearings it has set to gather public testimony, expert testimony and more information to create a zoning ordinance for wind energy conversion systems.
The first meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. March 18, had been set for a public hearing on “Noise, vibration and shadow flicker” associated with wind turbines.
But Henderson City-County Planning Commission Executive Director Brian Bishop said that the consultant that has been hired to provide expert testimony about noise, vibration and shadow flicker, Hankerd Environmental, could not attend the March 18 meeting because of short notice.
So, Bishop asked the planning commission on Tuesday that the public hearing planned for the May 20 date—“Land use and siting criteria”—be switched with the topic of the March 18 date.
Bishop said much of the testimony provided about land use and siting will come from him and Jennifer Allen, the planning commission’s assistant director, because it revolves around local regulations, which is their jobs
The planning commission approved the switch unanimously. It is the second time that the schedule has been changed. Bishop said that the schedule was meant to be “fluid” as the planning commission attempts to best work through all the information that will come during the process.
The current dates of the public hearings, including the switch, are:
- Land use and siting criteria: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
- Noise, vibration and shadow flicker: 6 p.m., Wednesday, May 20, 2026
- Environmental and ecological impacts: 6 p.m., Wednesday, July 15, 2026
- Health and annoyance impact review: 6 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026
- Safety, engineering and infrastructure: 6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026
- Regulatory and administrative framework: 6 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2027
- Post draft ordinance public engagement and transparency: 6 p.m., March 17, 2027
At the end of the process, the planning commission intends to develop a draft WECS ordinance with performance standards and siting criteria as well as a summary report that will go to the Henderson County Fiscal Court, according to a document from the planning commission staff.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the planning commission approved hiring of Hankerd Environmental to provide testimony for the noise, vibration and shadow flicker public hearing as well as Morley and Associates to provide testimony on public hearings involving ‘Environmental and ecological impacts’; ‘Safety, engineering and infrastructure’; and ‘Health and annoyance impact review.’
Jim Morley, of Morley and Associates, said he has an engineer on staff who has experience with wind turbines.
Bishop said the Henderson County Fiscal Court tasked the planning commission to find experts to present on different topics of the scheduled hearings. He said his goal has been to find experts who are as unbiased as possible.
In other news:
Melody Thompson, a Robards resident who has presented information about biased research regarding wind energy in the past, asked planning commission staff to consider increasing the length of time residents can present information during the WECS public hearings. She also said she was in favor of the county funding the hiring of consultants to provide expert testimony during the public hearings.
She also asked how best to submit information that a resident would use in public testimony. Bishop said that people wanting to submit information for the public hearings should bring a hard copy to public hearings that is entered into the record and also he requested that in a digital form that can be disseminated electronically to interested members of the public.
