Boardman acts on vacant gas station

BOARDMAN -- Township officials have taken another step toward taking over a long abandoned gas station that residents here have deemed an eyesore.
Trustees have adopted a resolution to appropriate the abandoned gas station at 5191 Southern Boulevard.
The gas station building was extensively damaged by fire and will likely need to be taken down. There are also underground gas tanks on the property that will need to be taken out, and there are at least two liens against the property.
Assistant Mahoning County Prosecutor Karen Gaglione said the next step will be for her office to draw up a petition in common pleas court to take control of the property. An appraisal has valued the property at $18,700, which will be placed in an account and paid to the owner or any lien holders.
Township officials have been looking for the current property owner for about two years without success. Gaglione said a public notice will be placed in local newspapers to alert the owner of the township's intentions to take possession of the property. Once the notice is placed in the paper, the owner will have 28 days to respond.
Eventually, trustees want to turn the property into a storm water retention basin.