LORAIN — The winds of change have blown into Lorain.
City Council amended the city’s heavy industrial district zoning code Monday night to allow for wind turbines to be used under a permitted basis.
Councilman Dennis Flores, D-2nd Ward, sought the change when he learned that Lorain-based Turtle Plastics wanted to build a small wind turbine, but the city’s zoning codes wouldn’t allow it.
“I went through the ordinances and saw there was nothing on the books,” Flores said. “That’s when it dawned on me that we have this huge green wave going across Ohio and we didn’t have anything green.”
The amended section of the ordinance allows wind turbines to be built under conditional permits with a maximum height of 100 feet from ground level to the highest point of the extended blade. The turbine proposed for Turtle Plastics, located at 7500 Industrial Parkway, is considered a “smaller” turbine and would be built in a lot adjacent to the company.
At 80 feet tall, it will be capable of producing up to 20 kilowatts of energy, enough to power the entire plant, which recycles plastics into modular flooring products and fire and rescue equipment. “It should substantially remove us from the grid,” said Chuck Norton, chief financial officer of Turtle Plastics. “We’ll still be buying some power, but we expect to break even. Our meter will literally run backward.”
Norton said the company is trying to secure a state grant to cover one-third of the estimated $150,000 cost but is confident it will  have the turbine built and generating power by the end of the year.
Contact Stephen Szucs at 329-7129 or sszucs@chroniclet.com.

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