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AUSTINTOWN -- Township trustees are starting to crack down on nuisance properties and vehicles.
At Monday's meeting, 16 properties were approved as public nuisances as determined by the zoning department in conjunction with the Ohio Revised Code.
Ohio law states the property owner is "ordered to abate, control or remove the vegetation, garbage, refuse or other debris …"
Among those 16 properties, all but one were approved as nuisances for high grass and weeds. They are: 5705 Baylor Ave., 5711 Baylor Ave., 3941 Cumberland Drive, 2513 Frostwood Drive, 3816 Kirk Road, 5202 Mahoning Ave., 5416 Mahoning Ave., Lot 1 South Meridian Road (vacant lot), 4418 New Road (vacant lot), 4460 New Road, 4344 Pembrook Road, 1714-1747 S. Raccoon Road (Wedgewood Lanes), 79 Westminster Ave., 85 Westminster Ave. and 95 Westminster Ave.
The last residence at 3615 Ferdinand Road was named a nuisance for miscellaneous items, junk and debris stored in an exposed manner at the side and rear yard.
No vehicles were recommended to be considered nuisances, however zoning director Darren Crivelli said there was a bounty of these vehicles he could have brought forward, but will present them at the next trustees meeting.
One member of the audience, a resident of East Liberty Street, said he had reached out to Trustee Ken Carano about neighboring vehicles causing issues on his street. This resident said his neighbor across the street runs a plumbing company out of his garage and vehicles parked on the street are causing visibility problems.
"He's got two of his personal vehicles parked on a vacant lot that adjoins my property. The vehicles are parked eight to 10 inches from the street," the concerned neighbor said. "I can't see getting out of the driveway. I've had four close incidents because of it," saying vehicles driving down the street can't see him backing out of the driveway.
"It's tough in and out of the driveway," he said.
The resident said he was hoping the vehicles could be moved off the street so it's safe for him to pull in and out of his driveway. Crivelli said he would address the situation by writing a letter to the owner of the vehicles and advising that only one commercial vehicle can be on the property, and that employees cannot come to the property to pick up company vehicles or equipment.
"We definitely don't want his employees showing up to get their work assignments, and I will put that in a letter to him," Crivelli said.
Crivelli also gave some advice to the resident as for the visibility issues caused by the vehicles, saying he should contact the police department and they can ask the owner of the vehicles to take care of them.
"I'm familiar with the street, and I can visualize the problems," Crivelli said to the resident.
nhawthorne@tribtoday.com