AUSTINTOWN ZONING Stepping up enforcement

Violators have been good about fixing zoning problems, officials say.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Illegal parkers, clandestine builders and sign scofflaws beware: Moving on marching orders from township trustees, Austintown's zoning officials have beefed up their emphasis on enforcement.
"It is a gradual change," said Trustee Jeff Groat. "The philosophy of the board and the zoning department is that we need to be a little more active when it comes to spot inspections and laws regarding zoning violators."
Starting in March, the trustees increased the number of hours department employees spend in the field making inspections. The assistant zoning inspector, Eric Harris, who had previously stayed in the office, will now spend as much as half his time on inspections. Harris and zoning inspector Michael Kurilla Jr. are the only department employees.
Informal notices: In the past five weeks, the zoning department has issued informal notices of violation to 225 residential and commercial property owners, for problems ranging from abandoned vehicles and construction debris to signs.
In the past, the department had mailed about 50 notices per month, said Kurilla.
He said most of the increase has come from offenses recently added to the zoning text, such as parking on grass.
Most responded: So far, 23 out of the 225 property owners have failed to fix the violation within the time frame set out in the initial letter, generally seven days, Harris said. They have been flagged to receive formal notices.
If a formal notice is ignored, a case can then proceed to county court.
"We have had a good response, not only from the community but also from businesses," Harris said.
The trustees have asked the zoning department to make a special effort to clean up abandoned commercial and retail sites, Groat said. "We patronized the business, for one reason or another it left, and we want the to put the property back to the way they found it."