East Siders angered by city's plan to rezone their neighborhood

YOUNGSTOWN

Residents in an East Side neighborhood are up in arms about the city rezoning their area – a change that possibly could displace them and/or build green industrial businesses there.

About 50 people attended Tuesday’s city planning commission meeting, which became contentious, to object to changing the zoning of their neighborhood from one-, two- and multifamily residential.

City council two months ago approved designating 21 acres around Himrod Avenue and North Prospect, Oak and North Fruit streets as an urban-renewal zone based on the commission’s recommendation.

That permits the city to negotiate the purchase of 19 properties from their owners and take them by paying fair market value if necessary, said Bill D’Avignon, Community Development Agency director.

“The plan calls for acquiring property and relocating people and using [the area] for green industrial businesses,” he said. “It’s a lot of vacant land. Most of the people who lived there have been gone for years.”

Miriam Ocasio, an attorney who represents at least one of the 19 property owners being displaced, said, “It’s embarrassing to give people X amount of dollars and tell them that they have to leave. Taking homes away from people is unfair. I’m not sure this is the correct area [to clear out residents]. You may want to take another look at this. It’s unfair and it’s wrong.”

Read more about the situation in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.