08-09-2016.....A group of about eight neighbors from the Sunnybrook Road area came to the Trustees Meeting to voice concerns about the derelict property at 2412 Sunnybrook Road. Chief spokesman for the residents was Larry Jacobs who asked what was being done by the trustees about the situation. Vice Chairman Dave Vartenuk said that the Portage County Health Department had asked the township to hold off on further actions until they (the Health Department) had the opportunity to do further investigation into matters that allegedly involved disposal of raw sewage. Vartenuk said that it was important to get this derelict house town down and the septic filled, but it was of utmost importance to do it legally. He suggested to the crowd of newcomers that they check when the Portage County Health Department was meeting and go attend that meeting to ask questions and ask that the Health Department move forward with their end of the process as quickly as possible. Vartenuk noted that before a house can be demolished, it must have failed inspections by the Portage County Health Department, the Portage County Building Department and the Suffield Fire Department. In addition to these criteria, various notifications need to be made, or at least attempted, and finally a court order issued by the Portage County Commons Pleas Court. As stated before, ridding the community of a derelict property is an arduous and time consuming task.
Trustee Jeff Eldreth said that the Road Department has completed its "chip & seal" project for this year with the improvement of almost six miles of township roads. He also said that the painting of lines on these and other roads would be done sooner rather than later. Eldreth said that the Palm Road paving project should begin in the next week or so.
The status of the recycling issue was asked and Eldreth said that approximately 65% of the cards that were returned were in favor of getting curb pickup of recyclables. A number of questions about this whole process were asked. From the questions and the response, it was apparent that more study will be necessary before a decision on recycling is made by the trustees.
Zoning Commission Chairman John Yeargin spoke briefly on the status of the Pretty Glen Dam, aka Hills Pond Dam, situation. Yeargin had attended a Mogadore Village Council meeting on Monday where the old West's Mogadore County Club was rezoned to a new classification specifically for that property. He learned that, as expected, the property along the ridge on the south side of the Pretty Glen Pond was slated for high-end housing and that the pond was an important feature to those lots. He felt that the Testa Companies would likely agree with Suffield Township officials that keeping the dam was in everyone's best interests.
The Trustees earlier postponed their normal August 23rd meeting, due to it falling during the week of the Randolph Portage County Fair. It has been reset for Tuesday August 30th at 8:00 PM. The Zoning Commission does not meet in August and there are no Board of Zoning Appeals hearings in the works.
