MAHONING COUNTY Eatery owner, official are at odds over permit

The owner said his business is being targeted.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- An owner of a new restaurant here said a township official is unfairly standing in the way of progress at the business.
Ross Scianna, owner of Oscar's Restaurant on U.S. Route 224, is hoping to attach a patio to the business in what is now a section of the parking lot. Scianna said the patio will include an awning, concrete wall and three feet of iron fence on top of the concrete wall.
Scianna said he is ready to get started on the $50,000 addition, but he will need a permit from the township zoning office or a variance from the zoning board of appeals.
Darren Crivelli, township zoning inspector, has refused to issue a permit for the patio. Crivelli points to a line in the township zoning code that he says supports his decision.
The line says no future revisions of a given site shall be made without approval of the zoning inspector after the site plans have been approved.
Safety issue
"Basically, if you want to modify a parking lot the code says you need approval of the zoning inspector, and I will not on my own approve it. I want them to go before the board of appeals because of the safety factor," he said. "You have people in the parking lot dining. I am worried about vehicle traffic."
Scianna said his business is being targeted by Crivelli, but he would not say for what reasons. He said many other restaurants in the township have outdoor patios for customers.
Crivelli said other restaurants do have outside patios, but said those patios were in place before he became zoning inspector. He said approval for Oscar's and similar requests should be obtained from the board of appeals.
Scianna said he submitted documents to go before the board of appeals but was not put on the list to go before the board. The board of appeals has already met this month and will not meet again until June.
Paperwork
Crivelli said the paperwork submitted was incomplete -- a revised site plan was not included as required.
Crivelli said he has nothing against Oscar's or its owners. He said he patiently worked with the owners when they failed to secure the proper permits from the township before opening Oscar's and an Antone's restaurant, also on Route 224.
Scianna said that if the variance request is approved by the appeals board in June, he will not be ready to open the patio until August. He said his customers have been anticipating the patio and the delay is affecting his business. He said he is considering legal action.
jgoodwin@vindy.com