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Austintown will regulate intimate apparel shops and donation drop-off boxes
By kalea hall
austintown
The Austintown Township Zoning Commission approved two proposals to regulate intimate-apparel shops and donation drop-off boxes.
The board Thursday also approved a recommendation by the Mahoning County Planning Commission to change the title of “intimate- apparel shops” to “intimate- apparel and adult-product shops.”
Right now there are no such businesses that zoning inspector Darren Crivelli knows of in the township — but he said he’s had inquiries.
The proposal included a requirement for an intimate-apparel and adult-product shop to get a conditional-use permit from the township board of zoning appeals. Such a shop would be located in a business B-2 district.
When it comes to “intimate-apparel and adultproduct shops,” the definition for sexually oriented business does not correlate with these types of shops, Crivelli told the board.
“These [intimate-apparel and adult-product shops] seem to be less intense,” he said.
Since the shops have a conditional use, the owners have to go through the zoning board of appeals for approval, and the board could suggest some adult items be put in a back room.
Other businesses given a conditional use permit are used-car lots, for example.
The proposal for donation drop-off boxes requires authorization to place the box by the owner of the property and a zoning permit.
The landowner would be responsible for the box upkeep, and the boxes must also remain 60 feet from the roadway.
Crivelli explained seeking approval from the zoning commission is the middle step in the process.
He will have the trustees approve the proposals and recommendation next, and he expects they will.
“We want to make sure the property owner understands he is responsible for” the donation boxes, Crivelli said.
He said the zoning department has had to issue citations in the past to the owner of the property for donation boxes that are “haphazardly” placed.
The property owner or the person placing the box will have to obtain a zoning permit at a minimal fee.
Properties that now have a donation box will be sent a notification letter with the new zoning requirements after the trustees accept them.