2 officials say Salem plan to annex nearly 100 acres likely is dead
The mayor had been acting as the annexation agent.
SALEM — Two officials think that a plan to annex about 99.8 acres into the city is over.
Mayor Jerry Wolford said Thursday that he had learned that one of the owners involved in an annexation request was withdrawing from the proposal.
Wolford had been acting as the agent for the annexation that included 52 undeveloped acres in Perry Township. The rest of the land that was involved is in Green Township in Mahoning County.
The properties are located on the west side of U.S. Route 62 north of the Route 62 bypass.
But one of the landowners has backed out of the plan.
Robert D. McCluggage sent a notification to the commissioners saying that he was withdrawing from the proposal.
Wolford learned of the withdrawal through the media.
Wolford said that McCluggage’s land in Perry Township is needed to connect to land in Mahoning County that would have become part of the city for future development.
Without McCluggage’s property, the city can’t annex land in Green Township, Wolford said.
At the time, Wolford said, “all want to be part of the city.”
McCluggage could not be reached to comment.
Columbiana County Commissioner Jim Hoppel, who was overseeing the annexation proposal for the commissioners, said that it was designed to be a fast proceedure. Unlike many annexations, there would have been no public hearings to hear comments for or against the proposal.
Hoppel said that the Columbiana County prosecutor’s office is reviewing the proposal in light of the withdrawal.
Though nothing has been decided, Hoppel said that it appears that the proposal is dead.