Other areas poised for burst of growth

Some leaders of the past decade are expected to stay on top for years to come.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Once the residential boomtowns of the 1990s are filled, where will people go in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys to find their slices of quality life?
Officials in those areas say there will be plenty of room over the next five to 10 years, but signs of growth are already showing up in other areas that seem poised to become the next communities of the decade.
Stigma: In Mahoning County, Austintown has been the leader in the number of single-family housing starts for the past seven years but has lagged behind Canfield in attracting expensive, upscale developments.
Michael P. Kurilla Jr., township zoning inspector, said a stigma that Austintown could not support such upscale housing seems to be changing.
Developments such as Lexington Place and Boulder Creek are carving into the high-priced housing market, and more such developments are expected, he said.
Though he said it's "hard to look into a crystal ball," Kurilla said he expects Austintown to stay on top with housing starts for at least three to five more years.
Beaver Township, where developers still hope to build an upscale development at Pine Lake, appears to be the next frontier in Mahoning County, especially once county water and sewer lines are extended south, said Michael O'Shaughnessy, county planning director.
"Springfield Township and New Middletown have shown potential, and you'll probably see some growth in Jackson Township with the new turnpike interchange," he said.
Corridor: In Columbiana County, where Columbiana is the undisputed leader, there is potential for growth along the state Route 14 corridor through Salem, Unity and East Palestine, said Mark Gardner, economic development director.
"People are looking for quality of life and room to breathe," he said.
The schools: Although Cortland is the only city in Trumbull County that's grown in recent years, Alan Knapp of the county planning commission said there's potential for housing developments in Howland and Champion townships. Bazetta, Vienna and Liberty townships are also ripe for residential growth.
"A lot of it has to do with schools. If someone is going to move to a new location, they're looking for schools with a good reputation," Knapp said. "They also want a suburban location away from the cities."
Dennis Puko, executive director of the Mercer County Regional Planning Commission, said he doesn't expect any area to dethrone Hermitage as that county's housing leader any time soon, though Delaware, Jefferson and South Pymatuning townships have potential.
Slowing trend? He also doesn't expect the trend toward building huge homes in the suburbs to continue, especially as baby boomers get older.
"I don't know that we're going to want the five-bedroom, 3 1/2-bathroom house at the end of the cul-de-sac when we're 65 and 70 years old," he said, predicting people will opt to buy homes in neighborhood settings.
In Lawrence County, Neshannock and Shenango townships are expected to remain strong, while growth is expected along the state Route 60 corridor, said Frank Gingras, assistant director of the department of environmental services.