Lowellville considers building-donation offer

By jeanne starmack

starmack@vindy.com

lowellville

Village council is considering an offer of a building donation.

The building, at 58 W. Liberty St., is a two-level, 2,000-square-foot structure in a residential neighborhood.

Dean Talaganis, who offered the building to the city, gave one stipulation: He says he does not want the village to change the property’s zoning designation to commercial.

Council is leery of accepting the donation with that stipulation attached, said village Mayor James Iudiciani.

The reason, said Iudiciani and village zoning inspector Nick Ruozzo, is that future village councils might want to change the zoning.

Council told Ruozzo to contact Talaganis and tell him that it doesn’t like the stipulation, but it is considering a new zoning classification that would allow it to zone the building for offices only.

Ruozzo said Tuesday he hopes to get a response from Talaganis by Friday.

Talaganis could not be reached Tuesday.

Talaganis tried in December to get a zone change for the property, which he said then is owned by his mother.

He wanted it to be rezoned to commercial so a small furniture-making business could rent it.

Council turned down the request.

The building was once a church and a self-storage building.

If the village acquires it, the police department could move there, Iudiciani said.

It could become a youth center, he said, or the village could rent it to people for events.