The Cass County Board of Supervisors, acting on a recommendation from the County Zoning Board, and following a public hearing, today (Wednesday) approved a change of zoning classification for a section of land in the Massena Township, from a General Agricultural- to Light Industrial- District. The change was made to accommodate a project planned by Mid-American Energy.

Rich Hansen, Assistant to County Engineer Charles Marker, said Mid-American needs the roughly seven-acre site to manage a wind farm project. The company he says, plans to construct a two-story building to manage and operate the Rolling Hills Wind Farm project. Hansen says when it’s built, the company will combine their Adair Maintenance and Operations facility with the new one, meaning roughly 50 people will operate out of the facility.

The building’s dimensions will be 100-by 200-feet. One-third of it will be used for office space, the rest will be used to house maintenance equipment for the wind turbines that are to be built in the southeast part of the county. He says a 35-ton overhead crane will be installed in the structure.

Electricity and rural water is already available, and the site has been approved for a septic system by the County Sanitarian.

Construction on the facility is expected to begin this Summer. When it’s complete, workers at the facility will oversee a wind turbine farm planned for parts of Cass, Adair and Adams Counties.