I used to see this when I was a small child back in the 1950's, when we would drive up to the lake from Wellington to swim at Beaver Creek Park.

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Zoning board denies request to add blades to existing structure
KATE GIAMMARISE, Morning Journal Writer

04/05/07
LORAIN -- Some might say Thomas Phillips is tilting at windmills.
Yesterday, Lorain's Zoning Board of Appeals denied Phillips' request to attach five windmill blades, each 36 feet long, to an old windmill off Kolbe Road that he is restoring. He plans to live in the windmill.

Phillips said he plans to appeal the decision.

''This is too great a project to stop now,'' he said.

Phillips told board members yesterday about the project to restore the building at 4630 Kolbe Road that he and his wife hope to occupy by June, and use the windmill blades to generate a portion of his electrical power.

He had several photos from the Internet of other windmill homes he displayed to the board. They ''are done in other places,'' he said. ''It's not like a wacky idea.''

Michael Schleckman, whose mother and father-in-law live nearby the windmill Phillips is working on, spoke at the meeting against allowing the blades. He said the shadow of the blades would disturb them and ruin their view of the sunset.

Phillips said the windmill blades would not be disruptive.

''Rebuilding a windmill without the blades is kind of a problem,'' he said.

Only three members of the five-member board were present at yesterday's meeting. Two members voted to allow the blades, but one, Safety-Service Director Mike Kobylka, voted against it.

A majority of the five member board, not just a majority of those present, would have needed to approve the request for it to be permitted, Lorain Zoning Officer Bill Dobis said.

In order to appeal the decision, Dobis said Phillips would have to take the matter to court.

Kobylka said he supports the idea of historic restoration but said Phillips did not provide enough information about the project, such as photos or manufacturer's information about the blades.

''I couldn't vote for it not knowing what it would look like,'' Kobylka said.

Phillips said he will continue to pursue the matter.

''It's going to be an amputee without the blades,'' he said.

©The Morning Journal 2007
From: http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18171654&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6