Trustees approve agreement with Austintown schools for new tennis courts

May 27, 2015 at 12:04a.m.

Officials hope work is complete by fall

By ROBERT CONNELLY

AUSTINTOWN

Austintown Fitch High School took another step Tuesday toward playing its tennis matches next season on the tennis courts at Austintown Township Park.

Austintown trustees unanimously approved an agreement with Austintown schools for the construction of two new tennis courts to the east of the park’s existing four courts. Those two new courts will go where the basketball courts are now, and one of the two basketball courts will be built to the north of the tennis courts horizontally.

“The four that are there now are used quite a bit,” said Todd Shaffer, township parks supervisor. “I feel this is going to benefit the park and the school system.”

The Austintown Board of Trustees and Austintown Board of Education met in public weeks ago and discussed the project. Township officials said Tuesday the township would maintain the courts while the school district would pay the construction costs.

Austintown schools officials said Tuesday the goal is to have the courts finished for the fall tennis season.

“I’m sure a lot of it depends on the weather this summer,” said Rob Conklin, Austintown schools athletic director. “Everything’s been very positive” in terms of feedback from the community and “... It’s a great move for the district and a great move for the teams.”

Mal Culp, facilities and operations supervisor at the schools, said design work for the project is being done now. “I think probably within the next two weeks we’ll have the design into the township,” he said.

From there, the township will put the construction project out to bid and will select a contractor based on the lowest bid.

At Tuesday’s township meeting, trustees unanimously approved the demolition of six homes, which had all been condemned. Those homes are: 317 Westminster Ave., 261 First St., 5446 Argonne Drive, 6591 Fairview Road, 133 S. Four Mile Run Road and 580 Turner Road. Township zoning inspector Darren Crivelli said he is working with the Mahoning County Land Bank for grant funding on the Westminster Avenue home, the only demolition approved Tuesday that could receive outside funding.

Trustees unanimously approved a zoning change for single-family neighborhoods in the Wickliffe area to switch from R-2 to R-1, which is single-family homes. The approved zone change included land on South Meridian Road, Elmwood Avenue, Impala Drive, Collins Avenue, Daytona Drive, First Street and Forest Hill Drive. R-2 includes duplexes and apartments.

“These neighborhoods that are single-family, we just want to make sure that they stay single-family,” Crivelli said.