The Windham Town Council on Tuesday referred a proposed ordinance on small wind turbines to the Planning Board for review, sending with it some concerns that the turbines, which are placed on tall towers, would not be welcomed by neighbors.

The move comes a week after the council got its first look at the proposal, which would allow the installation of small wind turbines to help generate electricity for individual residences and businesses.

Although the turbines are not specifically banned by the town, most zones have a height limit of 25 feet for accessory buildings, effectively eliminating the ability to install the wind systems, which usually have to be at least 30 feet above existing surrounding structures.

The proposal, based on an ordinance prepared by the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning and adapted by Councilor John MacKinnon and Assistant Planner Ben Smith, limits systems of more than 20kw to commercial zones while allowing for smaller turbines to be used in residential areas. It also states that turbines cannot exceed 120 feet in residential zones and 150 feet in commercial zones.

John Jaques, manager at Genest Concrete in Windham, said the company would like to install a commercial wind turbine to help with electricity costs at the store, located on Enterprise Drive off Route 302. Genest, along with a few other residents, approached the town about the possibility in May and MacKinnon took up the cause.

“Genest is a very progressive company and we are always looking for ways to be environmentally friendly and save money,” Jaques said Tuesday. “We have fairly significant energy demands here, and if we can have Mother Nature provide the power and run it, it makes sense.”

But Councilors Liz Wisecup and Bob Muir, though supportive of the ordinance in general, worried the turbines could create a visual and auditory nuisance for neighbors, who would have little recourse if one was placed across the street from their property.

The ordinance, which would require a setback from the property line of 1.1 times the tower height, only asks that the visual impact be “minimized,” Muir pointed out. Both he and Wisecup asked that all abutters be notified if a resident or business applied for a turbine permit. They also asked that the language surrounding the minimization be strengthened and possibly include examples of ways to lessen the impact.

Wisecup also wondered about the noise generated by the turbines, which MacKinnon compared to a running refrigerator.

“Even though it’s small, it’s annoying,” Wisecup said of the hum that is generated by a refrigerator.

But the other councilors said the council should be careful when deciding what one can and cannot do on one’s property.

Carol Waig said the turbines were no worse than the satellite dishes that are now in many yards, and Blaine Davis compared the towers to someone sitting on the front yard in loud, ugly clothes.

“It’s the same thing. It’s a visual annoyance and I don’t see trying to regulate the impact any more than necessary,” Davis said. The vague language is just inviting problems, and it should be eliminated altogether, he said.

“If you want one that’s pink, fine, it’s on your property. I’ve got no problem with that,” Davis said.

Though uncommon now, turbines will soon be a normal sight as more and more people use them to help offset the cost of electricity, MacKinnon argued.

“They are going to be a typical landscape feature,” he said.

He may be right. Mike Manning, a Windham resident and turbine installer who consulted on the ordinance, said among himself and three other dealers in Maine and New Hampshire, they are installing one turbine a day. Two Windham residents are ready to install towers as soon as an ordinance is approved, he said.

“Every other day I have a phone call or an e-mail asking me about them,” said Manning, adding that communities like Cape Elizabeth and Saco have adopted ordinances similar to the one being considered in Windham.

The wind turbines he installs are different from the larger ones that are used in wind farms and have generated controversy, Manning said. They pose no danger to birds and do not interfere with radio frequencies. They generate a noise level of around 45 decibels, Manning said, and would not be heard from inside a neighboring house.

For a turbine at the end of a 50-foot pole, Manning’s company charges just under $19,000. Placed in the proper location, the turbine could pay for itself in eight-10 years, he said.