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Mahoning County approves annexing land for golf links
YOUNGSTOWN
Mahoning County commissioners have approved the annexation of nearly 57 acres from Beaver Township to the city of Columbiana.
The Lake Front Golf Course, 14550 South Ave., and its restaurant sought the annexation so it could connect to Columbiana water supply and sanitary sewer lines.
On Thursday, Commissioners John A. McNally IV and Carol Rimedio-Righetti voted in favor of the annexation. Commissioner Anthony T. Traficanti abstained because he owns a North Lima trucking business bearing his name. North Lima is in Beaver Township.
Columbiana City Council approved the annexation in March. The golf course will remain in Mahoning County despite its being annexed to Columbiana.
McNally said he voted for the annexation because, by providing public water and sanitary sewer access, it will help retain jobs. The county has no plans to extend water and sewer service to the golf-course area anytime soon; and the annexation will cause no loss of tax revenue for the local schools, he added.
“We want to try to give that golf course and their ownership a chance to succeed,” McNally said.
Cleaner, more healthful water would allow the struggling golf course to maintain about 15 jobs and possibly expand, creating more, said Atty. Joseph Gardner, who represents the golf course, during an April 12 annexation hearing.
Tying the golf course into a sanitary sewer would keep sewage from leaking into a nearby stream, Gardner added.
At that hearing, Atty. Alan Wenger, who represents Beaver Township, objected to the annexation, saying it would cause the township to lose land and real-estate tax revenues.
Mahoning County has no public water or sanitary sewer lines within five miles of the golf course.
In other action, the commissioners approved an agreement with the moving firm of Carney McNicholas Inc. of Austintown to move the county’s recycling division from the second floor of the South Side Annex to the third floor of Oakhill Renaissance Place on June 14.
The commissioners also heard Terry Esarco of Midlothian Boulevard say he was “very disappointed” that Wednesday’s safety summit at St. Dominic Church was attended primarily by bureaucrats and that only a handful of South Side residents attended.
“If people in Youngstown want crime to stop, they better come up to the plate and attend these meetings,” he said, adding that the event was well- promoted and open to the public.
Youngstown residents need to participate in these efforts, he said. “If not, you might as well kiss Youngstown goodbye,” he said.