Alleghany County Unincorporated, Virginia · General provision

Article XXIV, Sec. 66-738 to 66-743

Dimensional standards

lot requirementsSTREETMIN LOT AREA1 ac
Plan view of the district’s stated lot requirements. Solid line: the property line. Dashed: the setback lines the ordinance imposes; a building must stay inside the tinted envelope. Drawn from the figures extracted below — illustrative, not a survey.

Extracted standards

21 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.

Fencing & walls

  • Tower fence or non-climbable base

    The supporting tower shall also be enclosed with a six-foot tall fence or the base of the tower shall not be climbable for a distance of 12 feet.

Height

Lighting

  • Artificial lighting

    Small wind energy systems shall not be artificially lighted unless required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or appropriate authority.

Noise

  • Maximum noise level60 dB

    Small wind energy systems shall not exceed 60 decibels, as measured at the closest property line.

Other

  • Blade clearance

    The minimum distance between the ground and any protruding blades utilized on a small wind energy system shall be 15 feet, as measured at the lowest point of the arc of the blades. The lowest point of the arc of the blade shall also be ten feet above the height of any structure within 150 feet of the base.

  • Building code compliance

    Building permit applications for wind energy systems shall be accompanied by standard drawings of the wind turbine structure, including the tower, base, and footings. An engineering analysis of the tower showing compliance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code and certified by a licensed professional engineer shall also be submitted.

  • FAA compliance

    Wind energy systems must comply with applicable FAA regulations, including any necessary approvals for installations close to airports.

  • Liability insurance

    The applicant shall provide proof of adequate liability insurance for a small wind energy system.

  • The applicant shall provide evidence that the proposed height of the small wind energy system tower does not exceed the height recommended by the manufacturer or distributor of the system.

  • Minimum distance to property line10 ft

    Additionally, no portion of the small wind energy system, including guy wire anchors, may extend closer than ten feet to the property line.

  • National Electrical Code compliance

    Building permit applications for wind energy systems shall be accompanied by a line drawing of the electrical components in sufficient detail to allow for a determination that the manner of installation conforms to the National Electrical Code.

  • Net metering compliance

    Wind energy systems connected to the utility grid must comply with 20 VAC 5-315: Regulations Governing Energy Net Metering.

  • On-site consumption

    The applicant shall provide information demonstrating that the system will be used primarily to reduce on-site consumption of electricity.

  • Wind energy systems shall meet all setback requirements for primary structures for the zoning district in which the wind energy system is located in addition to the requirements set forth above.

  • Radio/TV emissions compliance

    The small wind energy system generators and alternators should be constructed so as to prevent the emission of radio and television signals and shall comply with the provisions of Section 47 of the Federal Code of Regulations, Part 15 and subsequent revisions governing said emissions.

  • Removal of unsafe or abandoned systems

    Any wind energy system found to be unsafe by the building official shall be repaired by the owner to meet federal, state, and local safety standards or removed within six months. Any wind energy system that is not operated for a continuous period of 12 months shall be considered abandoned and the owner of the system shall remove the turbine within 90 days of receipt of notice from the county instructing the owner to remove the abandoned wind energy system.

  • and a distance equal at least to 150 percent of the tower height plus blade length from any dwelling inhabited by humans on neighboring property.

  • The wind energy system shall be set back a distance at least equal to 110 percent of the height of the tower plus the blade length from all adjacent property lines

  • Tower finish

    Small wind energy towers shall maintain a galvanized steel finish, unless Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards require otherwise, or if the owner is attempting to conform the tower to the surrounding environment and architecture, in which case it may be painted to reduce visual obtrusiveness.

  • Utility notification

    The applicant shall provide evidence that the provider of electric utility service to the site has been informed of the applicant's intent to install an interconnected customer-owned electricity generator, unless the applicant intends, and so states on the application, that the system will not be connected to the electricity grid.

Signage

  • Advertising signs

    No tower should have any sign, writing, or picture that may be construed as advertising.

From the ordinance

A small wind energy system shall be located on a parcel that, at a minimum, is one acre in size.
Article XXIV, Sec. 66-738 to 66-743