Letters to Editor
Second Chance to Speak Up
Chardon Township residents will get a second opportunity on March 16 to voice their concerns to a proposed zoning amendment that could permit your neighbor to have a barber shop, a tractor trailer storage facility or just about anything depending on the discretion of the zoning inspector.
You and the community will no longer receive prior notice nor will you have an opportunity to voice an objection to an occupational permit that will become a permanent change.
Your questions and concerns need to be addressed to the three members (Hank Andrews, Shelton Gray and Ben Rusher ) who voted to have the proposed amendment proceed without having the county Planning Commission do an informal review.
After the public hearing, it will be their vote that will determine the future of the proposal. The three were totally silent during the Feb. 16 meeting while Carol Kovac and Rich Piraino, who will not be voting because of conflicts of interest, fielded questions without providing any community positives.
Both Carol and Rich will probably be absent for the recommendation vote as they were in January to provide Shelton Gray, the alternate, the opportunity to vote.
If you cannot attend the hearing, I would suggest you contact Hank, Shelton and Ben with your questions and/or concerns. The town hall can supply telephone numbers.
The current conditional permit fees set by the trustees are not a valid reason to dumb down residential zoning by making home occupations a permitted use. Carol, herself, once stated a friend with the same business as hers pays about the same amount annually.
Personally, I do not condone the scare tactics they presented that trustees may turn the zoning inspector into the gestapo and pursue residents who do not get permits. It’s totally ridiculous; there are no fines for not having a permit and no public official is that stupid.
These zoning commission members are not looking at the cost of eventual zoning litigation problems nor the problems the township may have being defended by the same legal council that strongly advised against previous proposal versions.
The proposed amendment creates other problems. It does not require septic approval for the home occupation. A few septic failures can result in sewers and elimination of large lot zoning.
We will also be the only community in the area that will permit a home occupation to have any size vehicles including tractor trailers. Expect sizable tax increases for upgrading township roads.
Lot size will have little effect on where and what home occupations will be given permits. A sizable accessory building can be constructed on just about any township parcel.
The proposal is also topsy-turvy zoning with the same businesses having more restrictions in the commercial area than they will have in the residential area.
Almost no one is against permitting no impact home occupations, those that are entirely self contained and totally not obvious.
Instead the zoning commission continues to pursue what they are calling low impact which no one has clearly defined. Based on the minutes and previous proposal versions, their next change will be to allow the businesses to operate out of accessory buildings.
Please attend the March 16 hearing at 7 p.m.
Mike Danzig
Chardon Township
Why is GPD So Furtive?
In the March 5 edition of the Maple Leaf newspaper, there is an article about Heritage House and a petition, signed by 500 people in the first 24 hours, living in and out of Chardon that has caused the Heritage House committee and their green light to be pulled up short.
Objection and request from the public to have additional input on design has caused them to possibly reconsider.
Such is not the case for the Geauga park board. When presented with a petition of 2,500 individuals from in and around Geauga county, the people that actually pay for the parks, to return the bylaws back to their original mission statement of “Preserve, Protect, and Conserve,” they chose to turn a blind eye and not consider any public input.
Since then, not only have they not considered the public’s opinions, but called them close-minded, disrespectful and disingenuous, and have gone so far as to threaten them with expulsion from public board meetings by an armed ranger.
In a recent article by Mr. Oros, interim director of the Geauga Park District, he even states that the public is participating in “fear mongering” during a “time of speculation.”
Why is this a time of speculation, Mr. Oros? There should be no reason for speculation on anyone’s part if everything the board does is transparent and legal.
And more and more it appears that it is not. There is now talk of illegal hunting and trapping “accidentally” allowed by Mr. Oros.
The public has been attempting to ask questions and be vigilant over a board that is becoming more and more furtive. It’s this because of embarrassment over not having any knowledge of how to run a park district?
Protect Geauga Parks is the public and has a right to be listened to, just as any government entity has an obligation to the public that pays them to transparently report on the goings on under their jurisdiction and consider what the voters have to say.
Ani Karetka
Hambden Township
Gloom and Doom Attitude
Michael Kilroy recently congratulated the West Geauga school board for its choice of Dr. Richard Markwardt to be superintendent of schools. I agree with Mr. Kilroy on the choice. It is my earnest wish that Dr. Markwardt will bring some stability to the schools after Mr. Kilroy’s board and, the subsequent board, went through three superintendents and four treasurers in three years.
I’ll wager that none of the top 5 percent of the Ohio school districts, with whom Mr. Kilroy always compares us, can match that feat.
Mr. Kilroy spent a great deal of his time discussing a perceived decline in West Geauga Schools. It seems to me that Mr. Kilroy is once again thinking about running for the school board. The election rhetoric and positioning are starting.
Everything was great, according to Mr. Kilroy, when he was on the board and now everything has fallen apart. If, indeed, there is a decline, to what extent is Mr. Kilroy, and his influence with certain members of the present board, culpable?
Mr. Kilroy’s gloom and doom attitude is not warranted and is counter-productive.
It is important to note that West Geauga Schools rank 48 out of 883 school districts in Ohio. That is not bad. There are 835 districts looking up to us.
Mr. Kilroy also made an issue of AP classes. Mr. Kilroy, either by design, or because he doesn’t understand the mechanics, neglects to say that AP classes have no effect on the state rankings. They only effect national ranking by national publications. Nevertheless AP classes are of major import to our students.
A recent study indicated that the top 5 percent of Ohio’s school districts have between two and 25 AP classes. West G schools fall within that range. The West G, AP classes may, however, disappear when the phase-out of open enrollment is completed. The loss of student population and, more importantly, the loss of about $2 million per year in state funding as a result will necessitate the reduction.
I am very proud of our West G schools, our teachers and students. In spite of this board’s actions, and the prospect of future fiscal problems, we have been able to maintain our standing and reputation.
I speculate that this is a result of the solid base that was laid by former school boards during the pre-Kilroy era.
Bernard Mandel
Russell Township
Inharmonious with Chardon Square
The Chardon City Council is endeavoring to stuff a $600,000 unsightly replacement for the log cabin on the square down our throats.
At the very least, that’s the impression one gets.
The cabin reportedly is scheduled for demolition when the weather allows. Some say it will be removed before the end of May, this year.
It is my understanding that Chardon City Council has control of this project. If you have been observant, you would have noticed the artist’s rendering of the proposed replacement for this cabin in the newspapers or on Facebook. Can you honestly say, in your heart of hearts, that this proposed building is in even remote conformity to the 19th century buildings and building facades in place on or about Chardon Square? No, of course not.
We have a precious legacy in what presently stands on and immediately about the square. It’s one of the few examples of Americana found in our area. It’s on the National Registry for crying out loud.
The proposed replacement is inharmonious to the whole of the aura of the Chardon Square. It’s discordant and out of place with what’s there. It’s not even in remote conformity with anything there. It makes one wonder if the historical society, arts council and/or the Chardon Square Associa-tion were consulted as part of the requisite “due diligence” one would expect of elected officials — servants of the people.
I implore voters, caring citizens, to be at the city council meeting March 19 at 6 p.m. Let’s make our feelings known to the “powers that be.”
Billy E. Bowles
Chardon
Metzenbaum Changes Heartbreaking
In the March 5 article pertaining to the Metzenbaum Center, the executive director explained the purpose behind changes that have occurred over the past several years.
The county board and the taxpayers should be aware that it is not only longtime employees who are unhappy with these changes. Families who have been receiving services for many years are upset with this change as well.
In the 1960s, when the state institutions were thankfully phased out, it was hoped that local communities would take care of their own. Geauga County did just that and, with the help of the Metzenbaum Foundation, a wonderful facility was created on Cedar Road.
The systemic emptying of these buildings by a “politically correct” obsessed culture has been heartbreaking. A “special education” was a blessing for my brother. Loyal, dedicated staff is preferred over private contractors only looking to make a buck. Mainstreaming is not for everyone; actually, it suits a very few.
Nancy Sample Pezzente
Chester Township
Snowmobiling in Local Parks?
Snowmobiling: A fun alternative to dealing with these brutal Northeast Ohio winters.
Whether it’s riding around the backyard or riding on designated trails, snowmobiling is becoming more and more popular. Just this past year, 157,106 new snowmobiles were sold, an increase of 11 percent in the United States.
Cole Shinness, a junior at Chardon High School, explains, “I just bought a used snowmobile and love riding with friends, but in order for me to really ride trails — and not just my backyard — I have to trailer at least 30 minutes and drop off at a trailhead in or around Ashtabula.”
Now with the sport becoming more popular one question pops up in everyone’s mind: “Where do we ride at?”
States like Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York have state designated trails that add up to 6,500 miles of all groomed trails and all marked along the way.
But what about Ohio? In Northeast Ohio, there are some trails that are maintained by local clubs like Thompson Ledge Runners, Montville Highlanders and Grand River Trail Riders Snow-mobile Club just to name a few. These clubs put countless hours getting permission from local landowners for trails to be set up and ran through homeowners properties.
But still trails are very limited in Ohio. One answer to this is by local park systems to open up their trails to snowmobiles in the winter.
In Ashtabula County, there is a bike path called the Western Reserve Greenway that is 43 miles long and opened to snowmobiles during the winter season. This bike path runs from Ashtabula City to south of Orwell. This is a huge part for the snowmobile trail system by helping snowmobilers reach destinations like restaurants and gas stations.
Andrew Pikus, another junior at CHS, says, “Snowmobiling has brought my family together and is our family activity during winter. Recently, a couple of my friends purchased snowmobiles and we have the time of our life riding together out east and on the Greenway. It would be awesome to have trails in our own county, that way we don’t have to trailer so far to enjoy our sport.”
Now, what if the Geauga Parks opened its trails and paths up to snowmobilers during the winter months. The snowmobiles would pack down the snow in the trails and make it a much better hard packed base for joggers, walkers and wildlife to travel on when the snow starts to pile up. Not only would this help the parks, but it would also help the local restaurant businesses and all of Ohio’s economy.
There is talk this subject may be on the ballot in the near future. I encourage you to talk with an open mind about this great winter activity to all registered voters in your home. There is also a survey that can be filled out on the Geauga Park District’s website.
Evan Hornyak
Junior, Chardon High School
