NEWBURYPORT — Hearing of the map from her neighbor, Nan Cook couldn't believe it.
Drafted by the city's former planning director, Nancy Colbert, last March, the map shows possible locations where wind turbines could be placed in the industrial park. There are about 22.
Last month, the first wind turbine in the city began spinning in the industrial park. Property owner Mark Richey received permission to erect the 292-foot, 600-kilowatt turbine last summer after the City Council passed an ordinance regulating the construction of turbines in the city.
Last week, city councilors agreed to re-examine that ordinance in certain areas, such as density and setbacks.
Neighbors of the turbine, which includes homes on Hill and Cherry streets, voiced their concerns with Richey's turbine prior to the vote, citing its noise, flicker or shadow effect, and problems sleeping due to the blinking red light on the turbine.
Cook, who lives on Hill Street, called the possibility of adding 22 more turbines to the industrial park "insane."
"I hope to God that there's never enough money to put that in," she said. "One is enough; one is too much."
Sean Sullivan, who recently took over Colbert's position, called the number of parcels shown on the map "aggressive" but added that it is a ballpark figure.
"That number has some value," he said.
But just because there are possible locations for a turbine doesn't mean they will all be used for one.
Future studies and surveys would need to be completed before knowing whether a turbine could in fact be located in those areas, Sullivan said. One of the parcels included on the map does have conservation restrictions, meaning nothing could be built on it.
"It shows where something possibly could go, and I would have to underline the word 'possibly," Sullivan said.
Under the city's wind turbine ordinance, an applicant must get a special permit from the city to put up a turbine. Certain guidelines for construction of a turbine do apply, including for the design, the environmental standards, the location and its distance from residential zones — a 300-foot buffer.
The ordinance is only for construction of turbines in the industrial zones, not residential, City Council President James Shanley said yesterday. "They are not allowed anywhere else, period."
Shanley said yesterday he has viewed the map a couple of times but added that other factors will play into where a turbine goes — such as setbacks and wetlands issues.
"It reduces the number of likely sites," he said.
Shanley said City Councilor Greg Earls has referenced the map as well, and it was used during public hearings on Richey's turbine proposal.
"It's not a secret," he said.
As of now, no other businesses in the industrial park have filed a proposal to build a turbine on their property.
Curt Gerrish, owner of Rochester Electronics, told the Daily News in January that he did consider putting a turbine up on his property but put those plans on the back burner after a study showed it wouldn't be economically viable to do so.
Rochester Electronics, on Malcolm Hoyt Drive, received a $40,000 grant from the Mass. Technology Collaborative in 2006 to do a technical and economical feasibility study on putting up a 250-to 600-kilowatt wind turbine on that property.
Steve Wiehe, a member of the city's Energy Advisory Committee and chairman of the subcommittee that studies wind use, said yesterday he had not seen the map but added that he would be interested in seeing the document.
Wiehe said he is in favor of responsibly sited wind turbines, adding that they aren't meant for everywhere.
Cook said yesterday that Richey's turbine can be heard in her neighborhood, especially when the wind is strong.
"It bounces off the houses," she said.
If the city becomes recognized as a "Green Community," under the Green Communities Act, Cook said she believes there would no longer be a need to get a special permit to build a turbine — something that would hurt her neighborhood as turbines could go up at will.
"Certainly that would be a blow to the people living near (the industrial park)," she said.
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