A 130-foot-tall wind turbine in the middle of the former Eureka Townsite?
That’s the dream of Vladimir Deriugin of Ouray and Tacoma, Wash.
Deriugin, who describes himself as principal of CSC Construction Ltd., asked the San Juan Regional Planning Commission on Tuesday to approve “the installation of a reinforced concrete mat foundation” on a lot owned by Planning Commission Chairman Fritz Klinke, just south of the restored water tower.
A 130-foot tower with a 10-kilowatt wind turbine generator, with a blade diameter of 22 feet, would sit on the foundation.
“The power generated by the wind turbine will be injected into the San Miguel Power grid through an inverter through overhead power lines approximately 300 feet in length,” Deriugin said.
Deriugin said he would be willing to donate some revenue generated by the project to the Town of Silverton, which could use it to pave the streets.
Planning Commission members were skeptical however and suggested more public input would be needed on a project so radically changing the Eureka ghost town. The matter was tabled for a July 22 public hearing.