Hot Springs & Monterey, VA

Public hearing scheduled on Highland New Wind Development application By Anne Adams • Staff Writer MONTEREY - It's been more than 10 months since Highland New Wind Development, LLC, applied for a conditional use permit to construct and operate a 39-megawatt commercial wind facility in Highland County. In about two weeks, a public hearing will finally be held on the developer's request. Supervisors scheduled the hearing for Thursday, May 19. Anticipating a large number of people attending, the board decided to hold the hearing in the school gymnasium, which has the capacity to hold about 280 people, at 6:30 p.m. During a public comment period at Tuesday's board meeting this week, resident Larry Held told supervisors he found it ironic they would set a public hearing to consider a request "which will probably badly affect local business and cause some to close," and at the same time adopt a proclamation in support of Business Appreciation Week, which the board had done earlier in its regular meeting. HNWD filed its permit request in July 2004. Last August, the planning commission reviewed the request and on Oct. 21, planners voted 3-1 to send the matter to supervisors without any recommendation one way or the other.