Putnam County BZA turns back proposed Green Ammonia facility

Decisive. 

That is how Putnam County resident Jordanne Vondersaar described the actions by the Putnam County Board of Zoning Appeals Monday evening.

The BZA took up a request from Talus Renewables to build a Green Ammonia system on County Road 825 East about a quarter mile south of County Road 1100 North on land owned by the R&D Wyeth Family Trust in Jackson Township near McCloud Nature Park. 

With the proposed facility generating plenty of discussion on social media, the BZA voted 5-0 against the request in front of a standing room only crowd, much to the approval of Vondersaar. 

"The community showed up in numbers. It was truly incredible to witness. I don't think they could have made any other decision after sitting and listening to us," Vondersaar told The Putnam County Post. 

Vondersaar said she felt "incredibly grateful" by the response from the community, whether it was on social media or by wanting to sign a petition against the measure. 

"I feel incredibly grateful I was able to take the lead and helped our community. Not everyone is strong enough to trust what they know to be true and speak out without fear of backlash. I am really proud of myself for doing that. I am proud of the board and super proud of the community I live in. Coming out of 10 years of stay at home mom retirement just to shut down a $13 million project feels pretty good," Vondersaar said. 

The support is a major reason why the BZA voted the way it did, according to Vondersaar. 

"I am not surprised at all. After sitting in that room, the energy was powerful and the stories people shared were incredibly moving. You would've had to be a robot to vote yes. I was a little surprised by the support, only because I didn't know my community that well before this, but when people see genuine passion, it is easy to rally around," Vondersaar said.