New, open-air building nearly ready for the fair

By D.A. Wilkinson

The state wants a firewall in the middle of the fair’s new steer barn.

LISBON — The Columbiana County Fair’s new pride and joy — a new 80-by-320-foot steel steer barn — is almost complete.

Commissioner Jim Hoppel said this week, “The new building is basically up.”

The building that will be used to show and judge cattle this year replaces steer, sheep and dairy barns that were held together by cables.

Fair officials for years feared the buildings would either fall or burn down. The old buildings were finally demolished. The new structure has a dirt floor and essentially no walls.

But with the annual weeklong fair set to start July 28, the state has ordered that the open-air building must have a block wall that would divide the structure in half in case of fire. The wall would obviously also hamper many activities.

Tresa Hall, the fair manager, said the fair board planned to borrow folding bleachers for the judging from the Canfield Fair.

The county commissioners also have asked the Ohio Board of Building Appeals to reconsider its decision.

State law requires the wall, said Matt Mullins, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Commerce.

The state issued the ruling, and the appeals board upheld it.

Atty. Don Humphrey Jr., a fair board member, said, “A variance would be very appropriate here.”

The fair board could try to appeal the case to Columbiana County Common Pleas Court, Humphrey added.

The commissioners told the state the Lisbon Fire Department believed a wall would be more of an impediment than an aid in case of a fire.

The new structure has electricity for lights. But Commissioner Penny Traina said, “It’s unbelievable that a fire could occur.”

Mullins said one possibility could be other fire-suppression systems.

“Nothing is finalized,” Mullins said.

The fair board has raised more than half the funds for the $250,000 complex for judging steers raised by adults and 4-H members. The fair has planned to rent it out for other events.

Fair board members and fair supporters helped landscape the area around the building.

Owen Unkefer, fair board president, has said that having the steer judging at the new structure would increase safety by not having to move the animals to the coliseum for judging.

The fair board has been on a drive in recent years to improve the grounds and entertainment. This year’s major act is singer Lorrie Morgan, who will perform at 8 p.m. Aug. 1.

wilkinson@vindy.com