2 councilmen vote against rezoning by emergency

Council also approved a deal that will lead to an additional 168 jobs.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- There are too many unanswered questions and the potential for the city to be in a vulnerable financial position when it comes to a major redevelopment of the Wick District-Smoky Hollow area, a city councilman said.
Because of those concerns, Councilman Rufus G. Hudson, D-2nd, voted Wednesday against approving a significant rezoning proposal for the area by emergency measure. Joining him was Councilman Mark Memmer, D-7th. For legislation to be approved by emergency measure, six of seven council members need to vote in favor of it.
Second reading
Instead, the legislation will go to a second reading at council's next meeting, Oct. 19, unless Hudson or Memmer change their vote. It takes three readings or emergency approval for legislation to be adopted.
Reading from an Aug. 24 article in The Vindicator about the rezoning proposal, Hudson said he was greatly bothered to learn the proposed $250 million plan would need about $5.5 million worth of infrastructure improvements.
"That is an exorbitant amount of money," he said. "The neighborhoods could use the $5.5 million for infrastructure needs."
Wick Neighbors Inc., the nonprofit agency spearheading the project, wants to revive that area of the city, bounded by Wick, Andrews, Rayen and Madison avenues.
The organization wants council to change the zoning of the 66-acre area to planned development overlay from residential, industrial limited and institutional. The new designation would permit the site to be rezoned at once rather than through a piecemeal process.
The organization wants to attract private companies to develop the area, and the infrastructure improvement costs would probably need to come from state and/or federal grants.
"I haven't heard anything about where the money is coming from," Hudson said. "I have too few answers and too many questions. We need to select projects that are viable and are affordable. We need to prioritize."
The city is already investing a lot of money in other projects and doesn't have the financial wherewithal to help finance this effort, Hudson said.
Councilman Artis Gillam Sr., D-1st, said it's premature to consider anything related to this project except the zone change.
After the meeting, Margaret Murphy, Wick Neighbors' head, said: "This was a step to build a package to involve private developers. How else do we get private developers to invest in the city?"
Deal with Exal
Also at Wednesday's meeting, council gave the board of control the authority to enter into a development deal with Exal Corp. The deal calls for the city to pay up to $275,000 for waterline extension and relocation, and sanitary and storm sewer improvements for the company's $70 million 144,000-square-foot expansion project in the Performance Place industrial park.
The can-making company, off Poland Avenue, announced in September that it would build two $70 million additions -- this one and another at Salt Springs Road Industrial Park.
The company plans to build the Performance Park addition where the waterline is currently located, thus requiring the relocation. The company would hire 168 people when the addition is done, said city Finance Director David Bozanich, a board of control member.
The company will also seek a 12-year 75-percent tax abatement from the city for this project, Bozanich said.
The company started in 1993 with 30 employees, and now has 270. When the two expansions are done, it will have about 550 workers.