The Northport Village Council approved a proposal from Iseler Demolition, Inc. to dismantle and remove the town’s nonoperational monopole/ windmill stem down to the concrete foundation for a total of $23,300 at its regular meeting on June 18. The proposal highlights that removal will occur at the company’s convenience anywhere between the dates of June 25 through August 20. Iseler will also dispose of the scrap metal.
The local nonprofit, Leelanau Community Energy (LCE), first entered into a site lease agreement with the village in June of 2011 to operate and maintain the wind turbine at the Northport-Leelanau Township Utilities Authority (NLTUA) wastewater treatment facility property. In December 2022, severe weather destroyed the wind turbine’s blades, and what is left of the monopole structure has been nonoperational since then.
Due to no repairs or replacements of the monopole being made by the tenant for the last four years, the village approved the termination of the LCE site lease agreement in May, and has since been awaiting cost estimates for the removal of the wind turbine structure.
