Council OKs plan for homes

Officials also urged support of State Issue 1.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS -- A 26-unit, gated residential development is planned on 5.86 acres bounded by Eleventh Street, Youngstown-Poland Road, Lincoln Avenue and Elm Street.
City council unanimously approved preliminary plat plans for the development, named Brownlee Landing.
Mayor Daniel C. Mamula said one of the developers is Henry Nemenz, who owns Nemenz IGA Supercenter in the city.
Mamula said construction of the villa-style, single-family homes, about 1,500 square feet, will likely get under way in spring 2006.
In other action at its meeting Wednesday, council approved a resolution supporting passage of state Issue 1 on the Nov. 8 election ballot, and urged city residents to vote for it.
Mamula and members of council said Issue 1, which has three components, is important to Struthers.
One of the components provides 10 more years of funding for the state Issue 2 capital improvement program, which Mamula said has been the city's capital improvements program since 1989.
Numerous projects
Under the Issue 2 program, Struthers has received $4,578,000 for 21 projects, including wastewater treatment plant, road and storm water improvements that have enabled the city to do major projects without having to raise fees or taxes, Mamula said.
The passage of Issue 1 is essential to Struthers in addressing major capital improvements needs as well as to assist in its efforts at economic development, particularly the brownfield area known as the Mahoning River Corridor of Opportunity, the resolution says.
Councilman at-large Jerry L. Shields announced a public meeting on the proposed skateboard park project at 6:30 p.m. Monday in council chambers.
Shields said parents and skateboarders are invited to the meeting, at which time major financial donors to the project will be introduced.
The councilman said between $60,000 and $65,000 of the $75,000 needed for the project has been raised.
alcorn@vindy.com