ROUTE 224 Ruling opens land next to Goldsteins

The easement agreement will stand.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- A common pleas court magistrate's decision has cleared the way for another potential business to locate next to the new Goldsteins Furniture store on U.S. Route 224.
When Goldsteins built the new store at Route 224 and Tanglewood Drive last year, Darren Crivelli, township zoning inspector, agreed to allow an entrance onto the property to be placed on Tanglewood Drive -- after some upgrades to the intersection were made at Goldsteins' expense.
Homeowners on Tanglewood appealed Crivelli's decision to grant permission for the exit, saying it would create a traffic problem at the 224-Tanglewood intersection.
Goldsteins said the Tanglewood exit was necessary for its business because the Ohio Department of Transportation limited access to the property to right-in and right-out turns only from 224.
Crivelli said the 224 entrance has since been amended to allow right- and left-turn entrance, but right-turn exits only remain.
The township zoning board of appeals agreed to allow the entrance on Tanglewood, but struck down an agreement that would allow access to a neighboring property via Goldsteins parking lot and exits.
Goldsteins said it would provide an easement so traffic from any business that moves onto the undeveloped adjacent lot could use the Tanglewood exit.
Some zoning appeals board members expressed apprehension about the easement because it is not known what type of business will occupy the land. Goldsteins is a low-traffic volume business. Some members were concerned a high-volume traffic business might take over the adjacent lot.
Trying to help
Crivelli said the zoning appeals board, at the time of the ruling, was trying to help the residents of Tanglewood Drive, who have complained about traffic problems in the past, while at the same time not damaging Goldsteins' business.
"We understand the problems the people of Tanglewood have, and the board of appeals tried to address that without injuring Goldsteins, but the reality is, that middle lot is entitled to full access," Crivelli said.
Magistrate Eugene J. Fehr, in a ruling handed down last week, also said the lot should be granted full access for use. Castle Properties, owners of the vacant lot, appealed the zoning board of appeals decision.
In the ruling, the magistrate said the order prohibiting the easement is "illegal, arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable."
Crivelli said the zoning office has not heard of anyone looking to occupy the vacant lot, but he said that may have been because of the pending legal action. He anticipates the land will be occupied soon.
jgoodwin@vindy.com