CORTLAND COUNCIL Residents raise development flooding concerns

During the meeting, council also discussed problems with businesses' driveways.
By VALERIE BANNER
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CORTLAND -- The weekend's heavy rains brought flashbacks of July flooding to the residents of the Shepherds Hill development.
Some homeowners in that area said the recent storms had them worried that water would again flood the streets or come rushing into their basements.
Stacie Salyard of Laura Lane said water pooled in her yard, but didn't flood her basement. In July, her home was damaged when four feet of water filled their basement.
Even though it didn't happen again, "the problem still exists," Salyard said. She asked city council when the sewer problems would be corrected.
Law Director Patrick Wilson, Service Director Paul Makosky and Shepherds Hill Developer Anthony Petrocco met last week and discussed how to alleviate flooding in the area. Makosky said Petrocco agreed to fix the problems, which a consultant has told the city include a missing retention basin, pipes that were laid too shallow or pipes that were placed so water would have to flow uphill.
Petrocco, owner of W.A.E. Corp., was not at Tuesday's meeting and did not return a message left at his office Tuesday afternoon.
Petrocco has hired A.C. Charnas and Associates, a Warren engineering and consulting company, to survey the land and make recommendations on how to correct water problems. Council set a 30-day deadline for Charnas to complete its report. Makosky said he expects surveying to begin next week.
Driveway problems
In another matter, council members also say they want problems with businesses' driveways along South High Street to be corrected quickly. Wollam Chevrolet, Rite Aid and Cortland Roller Rink entrances are not sloped according to Ohio Department of Transportation specifications, said Gary Taneri of Warren-based McCoy Associates Inc.
The problems with the approaches, some of which are steep, arose during the construction project along South High.
Council members say they will do what it takes to fix the problems in conjunction with ODOT and Thomas Fok and Associates, the Youngstown engineering firm that worked on the project.