Neighbor: Good idea, wrong place

By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- The leaves scattered on Rutland Avenue make a quiet crunching noise under Richard Feorene's blue Nike sneakers, but he takes little notice.
He's focused on maintaining a brisk pace as he walks toward the faded guardrail and yellow "dead end" sign at the end of the road. There's no sidewalk along Rutland Avenue, so Feorene has to stay on the asphalt as he passes the two middle-class, ranch-style homes closest to the guardrail.
Beyond the guardrail are several tall trees crowned with brownish-red leaves. Trees also line both sides of the road.
Feorene said he often walks from his Norquest Boulevard home to Rutland for exercise.
'It stinks'
Asked what he thinks of the plans to build the Centerpointe business park behind the trees at the end of the road, he replied: "It stinks."
"It's nice for the jobs, but I think this is the wrong place for it," Feorene said. "These people have nice homes."
Other local residents have expressed similar concerns about the park, which was slated to be developed on 380 acres between state Route 46 and Lanterman Road near Interstate 80. Residents said they were worried that the park could cause drainage, traffic and noise problems, destroy the natural setting and decrease the values of neighboring homes.
Jonathan Levy, the park's developer, said that he's changed the park in response to the residents' concerns. He announced those changes Tuesday.
Some residents, however, said Levy's changes haven't led them to change their minds.
"We really don't want it," said Mike Liposchak, who lives with his wife, Lisa, in one of the two homes at the end of Rutland Avenue.
Buffer zone
Levy said he will leave a 230-foot buffer comprised of 200 feet of trees and a 30-foot tall, 10-foot high hill between the park and the homes at the end of Rutland. Original plans for the park call for a 50-foot buffer of trees.
"We want to create something very positive for the Mahoning Valley that will create progress and economic stimulus for the future," Levy said.
He's expected to present his proposal to the township trustees and local residents during a public hearing at 7 p.m. Thursday at Fitch High School.
"Nobody wants an industrial park next to their house," Liposchak said, adding that he was still worried about noise and traffic from the park.
He and his wife have a brick ranch home surrounded by trees. Liposchak said he thinks that land is available for the park in other sections of Austintown, away from residential areas.
Skeptical
Lanterman Road resident Jamie Williams stressed that he didn't believe Levy would make the changes. "We've heard his story change too many times," he said.
Williams lives about half a mile from the end of Lanterman Road, which is slated to be the eastern side of the park. Plans for the park had called for Lanterman to be extended west to state Route 46.
Residents are worried that Lanterman would then become a shortcut for trucks.
On Tuesday, Levy said he won't ask the trustees to change the zoning of the eastern half of the park to allow for the park's development for at least three years. He also said he won't ask Mahoning County to expand Lanterman Road until work begins on the east side of the park.
Williams said his concerns about increased traffic near his home haven't changed, since Levy still may ask the county to expand the road in the future. He added that while Levy is "saying he's satisfied a lot of people, I have yet to have somebody come to me and say, 'I'm satisfied.' "
Williams is the chairman of Austintown's Concerned Citizens, a group which has opposed the park. He said if most of the residents at Thursday's meeting seem to support the park, the ACC will drop its opposition.
hill@vindy.com