SOUTH AVENUE Despite growth, some residents plan to stay

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- South Avenue here seems to be in a constant state of change, and some residents say they plan to live as part of that changing landscape for some time to come.
In the past 10 years, the area surrounding South Avenue from just north of U.S. Route 224 to Western Reserve Road has seen a large influx of large chain retail stores, restaurants and office buildings. More than $8 million was spent in the past few years to widen the road from two lanes to five.
Darren Crivelli, township zoning inspector, said only about 5 percent of the land on South Avenue in the stretch between Route 224 and Western Reserve Road is being used for residential living. Some of the land may be zoned residential but is not being used.
Longtime residents
Tony and Stella DiMaiolo have lived in the same location on South Avenue for 36 years, long enough to see homes come then go to make way for commercial properties.
"We have seen a lot of changes since we have been here," Stella DiMaiolo said. "You have to go with change; there is nothing you can do about it."
When the couple bought their home on South Avenue, Stella DiMaiolo recalls being surrounded by nothing other than three homes. The rest of the area, she said, was mostly fields and open space.
The DiMaiolos are not the longest-remaining residents on the street, however. One family has lived in a ranch-style home at the corner of Beech and South Avenue since 1950 and says the traffic and changing makeup of the area does not bother them much.
Both families, with more than 85 years of combined time living on South Avenue, and the others families still on the stretch of road must decide if they will eventually move or stay and live nestled among retail operations.
Not everyone living on the South Avenue stretch has been on the street for extended periods of time.
Suzanne Melia said her family bought their home as a fixer-up home five years ago. She said the home affords her the perfect mix of country-city living. Now, with thousands of dollars invested, she said the family has no immediate plans to move anywhere.
Looking ahead
Crivelli predicts that fewer residential homes will remain on South Avenue in the years to come. He said, with the newly completed widening project, the area is prime for commercial development.
"This will be our next and last growth area for commercial development," Crivelli said. "There are certain areas in the township where we want the commercial development and South Avenue is one of them."
All of the residents who spoke to The Vindicator said the increased retail and traffic have not been a problem and they're not making plans to move. Offered the right price, however, most said they would at least consider relocating.
Crivelli said the township is doing what it can to protect residential neighborhoods from commercial encroachment, but he wouldn't discourage South Avenue residents from giving way to business development.
He said township officials would rather not see families and children living on a five-lane highway, where children may chase a thrown ball into the busy road.
jgoodwin@vindy.com