Lordstown advances zone change for Clean Energy Future property

Clean Energy to benefit from move to industrial

LORDSTOWN -- Village council advanced a zone change Monday from residential to industrial for Clean Energy Future despite concerns and objections from the public.

Council gave second reading for the zoning reclassification of 34.77 acres off state Route 45 with the final reading set for the June 5 meeting.

Mayor Arno Hill said council wanted to give the zone change three readings to allow for citizen comments.

Resident Mark McGrail, who lives on Goldner Lane near the property in question, said, "There is no positive benefit to the residents of Lordstown to rezone this R-1 property to industrial. The benefits are strictly for the company."

He said the neighboring properties to the east and south are zoned residential and only the parcel north is zoned industrial. McGrail said his backyard abuts the property.

McGrail, who is running for mayor in November, said he and other residents who live nearby have complained of hearing a lot of loud noise and seeing bright lights at night from the business.

"There is already a lot of noise from the plant that already exists. You can't sit outside on your porch because of all the noise," McGrail said.

Hill said the village planning commission recently passed the zone change request and recommended council do the same as it will give the industrial zoning needed for the second power plant.

Planning / zoning administrator Kellie Bordner said the company wants the industrial use zoning to be the same as the surrounding properties. She said the properties to the north and west of the property already are zoned industrial.

McGrail said Goldner Lane is a very densely populated residential area and he is not in favor of the change.

"We are right behind this property. There is a noise nuisance with a loud humming sound coming from the property that can be heard at night. There also is a light nuisance with a switching station at the end of Goldner Lane. These issues need to be addressed properly first for the residents who live nearby. The rezoning should be put on hold," McGrail said.

He asked village officials to meet with company officials to address noise and light issues before final reading on the zone change request and recommended that an area by the residential properties be kept as a buffer zone or conservation parcel of land not to be used by the company.

McGrail said he was in another Ohio county that has a similar plant that does not have as much noise.

PANHANDLING

Also, some residents are concerned with panhandling at local businesses off Tod Avenue.

Danielle Watson, who also is running for mayor, said there have been issues with people panhandling by the gas station, Dairy Queen and Dollar General.

"There has been a lot of panhandling going on. There are people going up to people's cars in the parking lots and asking people to buy them something or give them money for food or gas. The customers at all three businesses don't like it. We ask them to leave and they do leave, but we would like the panhandling to stop," Watson said.

Police Chief Brent Milhoan said Warren city has something on its books to address the problem of panhandling. Officials said the village does not have that many businesses compared to Warren.

POND REGULATIONS

In other business, Bordner said the village does not have regulations for ponds on private property and has been in contact with the county engineer on the subject.

"We are hoping they may be able to help us with this. There are residents who want to create ponds on their properties. In the past, the Trumbull County Soil and Water Conservation District would address those issues for us," she said.

Bordner said nothing in the zoning code regulates ponds. Hill said officials with the SWCD will be in contact.

Also, fire Chief Travis Eastham said the fire department has switched the ambulance chassis order from a Chevrolet to a Ford since it would take another one to two years to get the Chevy.

"We can't wait that long. There was a 2022 canceled order for new Ford chassis that will allow us to get the ambulance this fall. The safety committee agreed to switch over to get the ambulance sooner," Eastham said.

With the passage of an income tax issue on the May primary, Eastham said the first priority will be to hire full-time firefighters with the funds.

Officials said the village will begin seeing the increases in July.