The purpose of this article is to provide standards for the placement, design, construction, operation, monitoring, modification and removal of wind facilities that address public safety, minimize impacts on scenic, natural and historic resources and to provide adequate financial assurance for the eventual decommissioning of such facilities.

The provisions set forth in this article shall take precedence over all other bylaws when considering applications related to the construction, operation, and/or repair of land-based wind energy facilities.

This article applies to all utility-scale and on-site wind facilities proposed to be constructed after the effective date of this article. This article also pertains to physical modifications to existing wind facilities that materially alter the type, configuration, or size of such facilities or related equipment.

This article does not apply to offshore wind systems and private residential power systems.

Compliance with laws, ordinances and regulations. The construction and operation of all such proposed wind energy facilities shall be consistent with all applicable local, state and federal requirements, including but not limited to all applicable safety, construction, environmental, electrical, communications and aviation requirements.

Building permit and building inspection. No wind energy system shall be erected, constructed, installed or modified as provided in this article without first obtaining a building permit.

Fees. The application for a building permit for a wind energy system shall be accompanied by the fee required for a building permit.

General. All plans and maps shall be prepared, stamped and signed by a professional engineer licensed to practice in Massachusetts.

Required documents. Pursuant to the site plan review process, the project proponent shall provide the following documents:

The site plan review authority may waive documentary requirements as it deems appropriate.

Appearance, color and finish. Color and appearance shall comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety requirements.

Lighting. Wind turbines shall be lighted only if required by the FAA. Lighting of other parts of the wind energy facility, such as appurtenant structures, shall be limited to that required for safety and operational purposes and shall be reasonably shielded from abutting properties. Except as required by the FAA, lighting of the wind energy facility shall be directed downward and shall incorporate full cutoff fixtures to reduce light pollution.

Signage.

Utility connections. Reasonable efforts, as determined by the site plan review authority, shall be made to place all utility connections from the wind energy facility underground, depending on appropriate soil conditions, shape, and topography of the site and any requirements of the utility provider. Electrical transformers for utility interconnections may be aboveground if required by the utility provider.

Appurtenant structures. All appurtenant structures to wind energy facilities shall be subject to reasonable regulations concerning the bulk and height of structures, lot area, setbacks, open space, parking, and building coverage requirements. All such appurtenant structures, including, but not limited to, equipment shelters, storage facilities, transformers, and substations, shall be architecturally compatible with each other and contained within the turbine tower whenever technically and economically feasible. Whenever reasonable, structures should be shaded from view by vegetation and/or located in an underground vault and joined or clustered to avoid adverse visual impacts.

Height. The height of wind energy facilities shall not exceed 450 feet in height.

Emergency services. The applicant shall provide a copy of the project summary, electrical schematic, and site plan to the Police and Fire Departments, and/or the local emergency services entity designated by the local government. Upon request, the applicant shall cooperate with local emergency services in developing an emergency response plan. All means of disconnecting the wind energy facility shall be clearly marked. The applicant or facility owner shall identify a responsible person for public inquires or complaints throughout the life of the project.

Unauthorized access. Wind energy facilities shall be designated to prevent unauthorized access. For instance, the towers of wind turbines shall be designed and installed so that step bolts or other climbing features are not readily accessible to the public and so that step bolts or other climbing features are not installed below the level of eight feet above the ground. Electrical equipment shall be locked where possible.

Setbacks. A wind turbine may not be sited within:

Setback waiver. The site plan review authority may reduce the minimum setback distance as appropriate based on site-specific considerations, or written consent of the affected abutter(s), if the project satisfies all other criteria for the granting of a building permit under the provisions of this article.

Shadow/flicker. Wind energy facilities shall be sited in a manner that minimizes shadowing or flicker impacts. The applicant has the burden of proving that this effect does not have significant adverse impact on neighboring or adjacent uses.

Sound. The operation of the wind energy facility shall conform with the provisions of the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Air Quality noise regulations (310 CMR 7.10).

Land clearing, soil erosion and habitat impacts. Clearing of natural vegetation shall be limited to that which is necessary for the construction, operation and maintenance of the wind energy facility or otherwise prescribed by applicable laws, regulations, and bylaws.

Wind energy facility conditions. The applicant shall maintain the wind energy facility in good condition. Maintenance shall include, but not be limited to, painting, structural repairs, and integrity of security measures. Site access shall be maintained to a level acceptable to the local Fire Chief and Emergency Medical Services. The project owner shall be responsible for the cost of maintaining the wind energy facility and any access road(s), unless accepted as a public way.

Modifications. All material modifications to a wind energy facility made after issuance of the required building permit shall require approval by the site plan review authority.

Removal requirements. Any wind energy facility which has reached the end of its useful life or has been abandoned shall be removed. The owner/operator shall physically remove the facility no more than 150 days after the date of discontinued operations. The applicant shall notify the site plan review authority by certified mail of the proposed date of discontinued operations and plans for removal. Decommissioning shall consist of:

Abandonment. Absent notice of a proposed date of decommissioning or written not of extenuating circumstances, the wind energy facility shall be considered abandoned when the facility fails to operate for more than one year without the written consent of the site plan review authority. If the applicant fails to remove the facility in accordance with the requirements of this section within 150 days of abandonment or the proposed date of decommissioning, the Town may enter the property and physically remove the facility.

Financial surety. Applicants for utility-scale wind energy facilities shall provide a form of surety, either through escrow account, bond or otherwise, to cover the cost of removal in the event the Town must remove the facility and remediate the landscape, in an amount and form determined to be reasonable by the site plan review authority, but in no event to exceed more than 125% of the cost of removal and compliance with the additional requirements set forth herein, as determined by the applicant. Such surety will not be required for municipally or state-owned facilities. The applicant shall submit a fully inclusive estimate of the costs associated with removal, prepared by a qualified engineer. The amount shall include a mechanism for calculating increased removal costs due to inflation.