Homeowners balk at placement of wind turbines

Citizens concerned about the Neosho Ridge Wind Project expressed some alarm on Wednesday about how close the wind turbines would be to homes.

Dustie Elsworth, rural Erie, said he and others have been in contact with Apex Clean Energy, the company proposing the wind project, in an attempt to negotiate the company’s proposed setback of 1,400 feet from homes’ foundations, not property lines. Given the proposed height of the turbines of 610 feet, based on forms filed by Apex with the Federal Aviation Administration, the group prefers at least a mile setback from properties, but said they were told by Apex it was impossible to do within the existing footprint.