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Youngstown council to consider a study for possible light industrial businesses at six locations
YOUNGSTOWN
City council will consider legislation today to have a study done of six locations for potential use by light- industrial businesses.
The locations were initially identified a decade ago in the Youngstown 2010 Citywide Plan.
They are the Brier Hill area; Stephens Street off Salt Springs Road; Logan, Wick and Andrews avenues; the Oak Hill Avenue corridor; the Poland Avenue corridor; and the Himrod Avenue area.
The locations are a mix of residential, commercial and heavy industrial though much of the latter is gone, said Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally.
If council approves the proposal, it would allow the board of control – of which the mayor is chairman – to hire a firm for up to $25,000 to conduct an analysis of those areas to determine if they are good for future light-industrial use, McNally said.
“This is part of the process to make a zone change,” he said. “We want to determine what’s out there and see if we want to make changes. We’re looking for future development sites. We’ve received inquiries from developers on these areas.”
Whatever businesses would locate there wouldn’t impact residents, he said. Light-industrial classification would permit a great deal of existing manufacturing activity in the city. However it takes into account environmental impact and requires nonpolluting environmentally friendly industries, according to T. Sharon Woodberry, director of the community planning and economic development department.
“It’s a good time to start planning ahead,” McNally said. “This would give us a better picture of the neighborhoods and economic development work in the future.”
The study should take a couple of months to complete, he said.
Also on council’s agenda is a series of proposals to increase residential sanitary rates to fund demolition projects, and to reduce water rates to customers in the city to offset most of the sanitation hike.
But council wants to have a town-hall meeting with residents to give them the opportunity to ask questions about the proposals.
McNally said there could be two public meetings, and will likely finalize those dates and location at today’s council session.