43
Poland officials continue efforts to get property owner to make repairs
POLAND
Village officials are continuing their efforts to get Bret Barnhizer, the owner of 12 Poland Manor, to fix the property, which has been in a state of disrepair since he began work at the location in 2010.
“We will be moving forward on citing [him],” said David Raspanti, zoning administrator, at a village council meeting Tuesday.
Raspanti said his office has issued two zoning-violation notices to Barnhizer regarding weeds and high grass, and one violation-notice for exterior repairs.
Because the two notices about the weeds, which were sent via certified mail, were returned unopened, the zoning office now can proceed with citing him for that violation, Raspanti said.
For now, the zoning office will have to wait before issuing a citation related to exterior repairs.
Barnhizer appeared in Struthers Municipal Court last month, where he pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor nuisance charge.
Last month, dozens of residents of Poland Manor came to a village council meeting to voice their concerns about the issue. Residents of the street say the property not only is an eyesore, but has negatively affected property values in the area.
Village council members also discussed an issue with the sidewalk project that is nearly complete along state Route 170.
The sidewalk, which extends along 170 in the township and was installed using funds from a state grant program called Safe Routes to School, does not connect to the sidewalk that runs through the village on South Main Street. The gap in the two sidewalks spans two pieces of property near Nesbitt Street.
Village council members have been in talks with township trustees to find a way to connect the two sidewalks, saying they were told originally that the sidewalk would extend to Nesbitt.
“We didn’t ask for this problem,” said Linda Srnec, village council member.
Srnec contacted an Ohio Department of Transportation official about the issue in an email, saying the gap in the sidewalk defeats the purpose of the project, which was to provide a route for kids to walk to school.