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City property owner has no plan
YOUNGSTOWN
A downtown property owner, charged with violating the city Design Review Committee’s code, wants to resolve the matter before her Nov. 2 court date.
Denise Powell, owner of a vacant building at 25 W. Federal St., received permission from the committee in September 2008 to use Hardie board, a hard fiber-cement siding, on the structure’s exterior.
But instead Powell had vinyl siding installed in mid-June on most of the front of her building, in violation of DNC code. She was cited shortly thereafter for the minor misdemeanor. If found guilty, she could be fined $100 a day for the violation.
Laura Arroyo, a construction manager representing Powell, met Tuesday with the committee to discuss the building’s exterior.
“We want to rectify the situation before it gets too far,” Arroyo said. “But she doesn’t have the funds for the materials.”
Arroyo said she wanted to get input from committee members before presenting a proposal.
“I thought you were coming with a plan,” responded Bill D’Avignon, head of the committee and the city’s community development agency director.
Arroyo wasn’t specific on a new exterior, but said she’d have a design to the committee by the end of the week with a follow-up meeting likely next week.
She added: “If we have to remove the vinyl siding, it’s more money. We couldn’t put the Hardie board on it right now. We couldn’t afford it.”
The committee members Tuesday were united in not wanting the vinyl siding to remain on Powell’s building.
Also, Summer Barker, a DRC member, and D’Avignon said the siding installation work is poor.
“We’ll see what design is presented to us with the goal being to resolve the issue,” said Phil Kidd, a DRC member.
Even if this issue is resolved, Powell could still face legal issues with the city.
She received a $100,000 grant from the city in 2007 after promising to spend about $568,000 to purchase and improve the vacant building.
Powell bought the building for $191,000 in July 2007, and did some interior work. But she hasn’t provided documentation regarding the building’s exterior and likely hasn’t spent close to $568,000, T. Sharon Woodberry, the city’s economic development director, said in August.