Wagon Wheel given 24 hours to shape up

Staff report

BOARDMAN

In a hearing Thursday, Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge John Durkin gave the owners of Wagon Wheel Motel 24 hours to make necessary repairs before issuing a temporary restraining order.

Boardman fire Chief Mark Pitzer said that repairs need to be made to the roof, and the electrical system must be inspected.

“It’s a really tall order,” Pitzer said.

Pitzer requested a temporary restraining order Wednesday after owners did not correct safety issues found in a March 28 inspection.

Township trustees also declared the property a nuisance May 13.

Trustees can move forward with demolition if the owners do not correct safety issues in 30 days.

An appeal hearing has been scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday.

In addition to the motel’s structural risks, the property has been the site of criminal activity. In 2018, police responded to 121 calls to the Wagon Wheel.

Complaints of bed bug infestations and reports of overdose deaths at the Wagon Wheel have roused the ire of the community.

According to the Mahoning County Auditor’s website, Akm and Nasrin Rahman acquired the Wagon Wheel Motel in 2003.

In January, the family that runs the motel said Chirag Patel purchased the Wagon Wheel in 2014. Ken Patel, Chirag’s father, said then that he and his son do their best to dispel criminal activity.