AUSTINTOWN Charting a course toward the future

First of a two-day series
AUSTINTOWN -- Dave Ditzler says many township residents ask him the same question:
"Hey, what's new in the township?"
During the past few months, Ditzler and his fellow township trustees have been able to tell residents that the former Tamco warehouse on Victoria Road has reopened as the Western Wholesale Distribution Co., and that a new trailhead for the Mill Creek bikeway has been built on Kirk Road. In addition, a new Eat'n Park restaurant has opened on Mahoning Avenue.
Trustees also have worked to pave the way for the development of the new Centerpointe Business Park between state Routes 46 and 11. On Nov. 14, trustees voted to change the zoning on the future site of the park from residential, agricultural and business to light industrial.
Ditzler said that in the future, he wants to be able to tell residents that he's worked with developers to bring new businesses to Austintown without harming the township's integrity. Trustee Bo Pritchard said he wants to help control where that development occurs while also trying to improve local roads.
Trustee Richard Edwards said he wants to work with the Austintown Growth Foundation to develop a new plan for the future of the township.
Vindicator staff writer Ian Hill spoke with the growth foundation, the Austintown Council of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, and Austintown's Concerned Citizens about their plans for the future of the township.
The results of those discussions appear in The Vindicator today and Monday. Today, we examine the growth foundation, which is working on a community-developed plan for the township's future. On Monday, members of the chamber's Austintown council and ACC will discuss their goals.