Girard asks EPA for money if no extension

Grants for the city might be used elsewhere in the county.
WARREN -- Girard is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to return about $180,000 to Trumbull County if it can't get another extension for testing the former Ohio Leather Works property for environmental hazards.
Mayor James Melfi, in a letter to U.S. EPA Region 5 in Chicago, seeks another two-year extension of the brownfield grant to "hopefully facilitate a settlement with the owners of the Leatherworks property."
The city is in "last effort negotiations" with the owners, his letter states, and if a deal isn't struck by Dec. 31, he asks the EPA to let the Trumbull County Planning Commission "use the grant money outside the city to benefit Trumbull County."
The city obtained the grant four years ago and received an initial two-year extension to test the property on U.S. Route 422.
The city has been attempting to gain ownership of the 27-acre property from Leatherworks Partnership through foreclosure. The city wants to use the land for commercial development. Ohio Leather Works ceased operating its tannery business in 1971, and the site is a brownfield.
A busy year
In other planning commission business discussed Tuesday, Director Alan Knapp noted that 2004 was a busy year.
Right now, the planning commission is working on projects with a total value of $18.6 million. It has sought $10.7 million in competitive grant funds and received $5.95 million.
These projects include sewers, waterlines, street improvements, enterprise zone agreements for businesses, housing rehabilitation, a bike trail and land acquisition for parks.
For example, the staff is working to acquire about 100 acres along Mosquito Creek on East Market Street in Howland Township and Warren. The property will be transferred to the township, which partnered with the Mahoning River Consortium for preservation of the land.
This project also includes the construction of trails along Mosquito Creek from East Market to Howland Township Park, which will connect to trails being constructed to North River Road.