Mahoning Co. denies Canfield annexation
A developer had inquired about building condos on the farmland.
YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County commissioners have denied a petition to annex 43 acres from Canfield Township to the city of Canfield.
Thirty-six acres of the land is at 5006 S. Canfield-Niles Road (state Route 46). It is on the west side of that road, just north of Herbert Road. The township zoned the land agricultural, and it is used for that purpose.
The other seven acres is part of the Ohio Turnpike, which is the road separating the city from the township.
In the resolution they adopted Thursday, the county commissioners said the area proposed for annexation is unreasonably large; there is no direct access across the turnpike from the city to the land at issue; the city can’t provide the necessary sewer service to the land at issue; and the general good of the land in question won’t be served by the annexation.
Commissioners Anthony T. Traficanti and David N. Ludt voted to deny the annexation petition, but Commissioner John A. McNally IV abstained because he didn’t attend a Jan. 6 hearing on the matter at the township hall.
In that 21‚Ñ2 hour hearing, township officials concerned about zoning issues and loss of township land, voiced opposition to the petition, but Bill Kay, mayor of the city, said he welcomed the proposed annexation.
Atty. David A. Kovass, who represented Joseph G. and Claudia L. Sabat, owners of the farmland, said the Sabats desired to have the land annexed to the city so it can receive city services, such as sanitary sewer services.
Township Zoning Inspector Dave Morrison said a representative of Canfield developer Scott Owens inquired of him more than a year ago about the procedure for obtaining a zoning change and other requirements for permission to build condominiums on the farmland.
After Thursday’s vote, Ludt, a former Poland Township trustee, said that if annexation continues unabated, Canfield Township would eventually be dissolved. “I don’t want to see that happen,” Ludt said.
Ludt also noted that those speaking at the hearing were overwhelmingly opposed to the annexation proposal.
“We’re going to develop that area anyway,” Ludt said, adding that county officials would eventually extend sanitary sewer service to that section of the township.
In other action Thursday, the commissioners:
UAwarded the $77,440 Juvenile Justice Center gym floor replacement contract to Tom Brown Contracting Inc. of Lawrence, Pa., which will install a new wooden floor to replace the tile floor.
UAwarded a $75,000 real estate tax bill printing and mailing contract to Postal Mail Sort Ltd., of Youngstown.
The county treasurer’s office recently mailed out first half property tax bills to owners of some 166,000 parcels of real estate. Payments are due March 13.