Austintown officials hope to have answer for Wyndclift Circle neighborhood

AUSTINTOWN

Township officials will work over the coming days to resolve gunfire concerns raised by Wyndclift Circle residents at Monday night’s township trustees meeting.

Trustee Jim Davis said Tuesday afternoon that township officials are working on a solution, including one discussed Monday night involving regulations for backdrops in backyards. That solution could take a few days to sort through the details.

Wyndclift Circle is within the Fairview Heights subdivision off of Fairview Road, which comes off of Wilcox Road in the western part of Austintown. Wilcox Road is off of Mahoning Avenue and a Popeye’s Chicken sits at that intersection, 6073 Mahoning Ave.

Residents from Wyndclift Circle addressed trustees about concerns of neighbors firing guns in their backyards. But the bullets aren’t staying in the backyards.

One resident explained how a bullet went through his home, going through several walls and had left his two daughters afraid to use the bathroom in the home. The bullet, shot from a high-powered rifle, went through the shower area of the bathroom.

Austintown Police Chief Robert Gavalier talked Monday night about pursuing rules in the township for a backdrop, like those featured at shooting ranges. That could include specific lengths, such as how tall and wide, the backdrop would be in a resident’s backyards.

Gavalier said there are about 10 properties in Austintown where residents fire guns on their own properties.