MALTA – A group of DeKalb County residents will host a community meeting Saturday to discuss potential rural wind-energy projects in Malta.
The meeting will be free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Kishwaukee College, 21193 Malta Road, Malta, to provide “neighbor-to-neighbor” informational updates about the proposed DeKalb County wind ordinance, according to a news release. No reservation is necessary.
“Every rural property owner in DeKalb County should be aware of the wind ordinance currently under development and get involved in discussions on setbacks, property values and other concerns,” the release said.
The meeting, which will be held in the college’s theater, also will provide an update on a proposed industrial wind plant. The plant would be located in the northwestern part of the county, affecting property owners near DeKalb, Sycamore, Clare, Kingston, Kirkland, Esmond and Malta.
“We invite everyone to learn more about the project’s potential impact in DeKalb County,” said Brad Belanger, a rural property owner and head of Concerned Citizens for DeKalb County. “We will discuss action plans and outline why and how people should get involved.”
The ordinance will establish requirements for future wind projects, according to the release.
Phil Luetkehans, a wind energy expert and partner at the law offices of Schirott, Luetkehans and Garner, will be the meeting’s featured speaker. Luetkehans has experience representing both developers and objectors to zoning projects, including special use hearings for wind-energy projects.
The meeting is an excellent chance for participants to have their questions answered, Belanger said.
For information, email ConcernedCitizensforDeKalbCo@gmail.com, call 630-448-2511 or visit stopwindfarmdekalb.com.