The Gloucester County Planning Commission will receive a staff report about a draft ordinance regarding small wind energy facilities during a meeting beginning at 7:30 tonight in the colonial courthouse.

Planner Tripp Little said the draft ordinance recommends small wind energy facilities be permitted only as accessory uses in the C-1, C-2, PUD-1, RC-1, RC-2, SC-1, and SF-1 zoning districts. The draft applies to small wind turbines, and is not intended to allow wind farms, Little said.

The maximum allowable system height for such facilities is recommended at 120 feet, with no facility be permitted in any required front yard.

The minimum side yard setback shall be 110 percent of system height or that required by the zoning district, whichever is greater, the draft ordinance said. For guy towers, the draft said their anchors shall meet the setback requirement for accessory structures in the zoning district where they are located.

The small wind turbines must have a separation o...