BonnerSprings.com

Sandstone Amphitheater's efforts to go green could include three or four electric-generating wind turbines on its site.

The Bonner Springs Planning Commission on Tuesday night discussed the possibility of regulating or banning wind turbines in response to an idea floated by the amphitheater.

Kevin Pew, general manager of Sandstone, said later that the wind-turbines weren't at the planning stage, nor could specifics regarding the turbines' size or power output be given.

Rather, he said, the idea is "on a long list of things to be reviewed and considered" for the concert venue.

Nonetheless, Planning Director Don Slone told the Commission consideration of such an addition to the site shows the need for the city to have a policy of some sort on wind-energy conversion systems.

Slone said he had no recommendations but rather wanted commissioners to review "Small Wind Electric Systems: A Kansas Consumer's Guide," from the U.S. Department of Energy.

"I'd like you to look it over and come back with ideas," Slone said.

Without such a policy, Sandstone would need a special-use permit to erect the turbines.

Still, "If we allow it, there needs to be a provision for other ones," Slone said.

The closest city zoning ordinances come to addressing wind-energy conversion systems is in Article XXII, Slone said, which deals with height regulations of chimneys, cooling towers, elevator head-houses, fire towers, grain elevators and other uninhabited structures connected to buildings.

The first section says that "in all tricts, one additional foot of height above the specified height limitation shall be permitted for each one foot of additional yard provided over the minimum requirement on all sides of the lot :"

The second section of the article says that certain structures would not be restricted to the above limitation. These structures include electric and telephone substations, gas regulator stations, poles, wires, cables, pipes and other equipment for the transmission of electricity, gas or water, and radio, television and microwave transmitting or relay stations.

Commissioner Merle Parks said Slone's concern about what would happen once a turbine was erected, then broke after its warranty expired could be addressed in the same way run-down homes are in the city's codes.

The first and so far only scheduled concert for Sandstone is the Aug. 15 Jack Johnson show. The venue should have more of its summer schedule known and listed on its Web site, sandstoneamp.com, in the next couple of weeks, Pew said.

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