Trending
BOARDMAN -- A donation made to Boardman Township will allow for undeveloped land to stay in its natural state.
Township Administrator Jason Loree said the approximate 20 acres are located behind the new Meijer building on U.S. Route 224.
Meijer previously purchased some 40 acres, and developed nearly half with the intent to donate the remaining portion to the township, Loree said.
A conservancy is attached to the remaining part of the land, which means it cannot be developed.
"This is something Meijer said they would do when they were building, and they are doing just that," Loree said.
In the future, the land could be transferred to the ABC Stormwater District "to further protect that property from any future development," Loree told trustees.
By doing so, the transfer to the stormwater district would allow for the area, which is wetlands, "to continue to thrive," Loree said.
In other business Monday, first responders gave updates to trustees.
Firefighters battling a Christmas Day blaze had to fight extreme weather conditions, Chief Mark Pitzer said.
The fire was on Walker Mill Road at night, Pitzer said, calling the fire "challenging." The house is located about 700 feet off the road. The cause of the fire is believed to be a gas fireplace in the living room that was used throughout the day.
When the family at the home went to sleep, they were awakened by smoke detectors, Pitzer said.
Cold temperatures caused sections of the 1,000 feet of hose to freeze, Pitzer said.
A ladder truck also malfunctioned, which led to the department calling in its mechanic and a towing company, Pitzer said.
"It was a very difficult night for us, but thankfully that incident was mitigated with no injuries reported," Pitzer said, except for a firefighter injuring his ankle.
The family was able to remain in the house, Pitzer confirmed.
Police Chief Todd Werth updated trustees on response time to traffic crashes.
Over the last several months, the Boardman Police Department has been using a new reporting and dispatching system.
"With the new software, we have seen a decrease" on response time, Werth said, due to a traffic crash module within the system.
As officers continue to familiarize with the software, response times are expected to decrease, Werth said.