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Youngstown officials just say no to sober houses

YOUNGSTOWN — The planning commission voted to recommend city council reject zoning changes to allow sober-living facilities in two residential neighborhoods.

The commission voted 6-0 Wednesday with Law Director Jeff Limbian abstaining, saying he did so because “there is a potential for litigation” over the issues, and he’s the city’s head legal counsel.

There was little doubt the sober houses would be rejected because they were met with opposition from neighbors and concern from planning commission members when introduced at a Nov. 19 meeting. The commission couldn’t vote on recommending rejection at that meeting because only three of the seven members were there — one shy of a quorum.

That wasn’t the case Wednesday with all seven members attending the meeting.

Michael and Pamela Sabol, who last month requested the commission change the zoning classification to houses they own at 54 Milton Ave. on the West Side and 853 Winona Drive on the South Side, didn’t attend Wednesday’s meeting.

Laura Fulmer, a city zoning specialist, said Mrs. Sabol called her and said she didn’t “see much point in coming because at the last meeting it was overwhelmingly opposed.”

The Sabols want to change the zoning classification of the houses from single family to one- and two-family residential. The changes are needed to establish sober-living facilities in residential neighborhoods.

Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works and a commission member, said the requests would create “spot zoning” in the neighborhoods.

To overturn a commission recommendation, six of seven city council members would have to vote against it.

That’s almost certainly not going to happen as Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th, spoke Wednesday against the Milton Avenue request and Councilwoman Lauren McNally, D-5th, talked in opposition to the Winona Drive request.

“There’s no legitimate reason to spot zone this one-family home,” McNally said.

Ray said residents around the Milton Avenue home oppose a change.

Also Wednesday, the board of zoning appeals, which consists of the same members as the planning commission, voted to recommend a variance request from the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County to build a three-bay addition to an existing garage at its Newport branch, 3730 Market St. on the South Side.

The garage at Newport would bring the library’s maintenance department to one location.

There’s a garage at the main branch, 305 Wick Ave., that’s being taken down as part of a $21 million improvement project there.

The new garage at Newport will cost about $306,000.

dskolnick@tribtoday.com

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