Newbury Township officials voiced their frustration July 19 when several Kiwanis Lake Community residents shared their concerns about problems in the neighborhood.
Newbury Township officials voiced their frustration July 19 when several Kiwanis Lake Community residents shared their concerns about problems in the neighborhood.
The group said one neighbor is burning garbage and another sets off explosives at all hours, terrifying neighborhood dogs.
Abandoned and deteriorating houses, dead trees dangerously close to the road, squatters and a bad litter problem also were discussed. The group asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals.
Historically, Kiwanis Lake Community — which centered around Kiwanis Lake north of Kinsman Road off Elm Drive — was developed as a resort community for Cleveland residents to enjoy on weekends and in the summer. Over the years, many of the cottages have become year-round residences. The residents’ organization uses a community center for gatherings, according to the Kiwanis Lake Facebook page.
Last Wednesday, trustees Glen Quigley and Greg Tropf provided the group with suggestions on how to proceed to address the problems in the community.
Newbury Fire Chief Ken Fagan said the garbage burning is more of an air quality concern than one that can be handled by the fire department, although open burning requires a permit.
“The (Ohio Environmental Protection Agency) is much more stringent. They have been able to help more than we can,” he said.
One resident said she was told by Geauga Public Health that officials have to catch the garbage burner in the act.
Photos have been sent to the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office, she said.
Fagan said evidence of the garbage being burned would improve chances of successful prosecution.
Quigley said they should generate a paper trail, then call Fagan.
One resident said a neighbor has been setting off explosives for two years and she has been told an officer has to catch the individual in the act in order to take action.
Newbury does not have a police department to follow up on complaints.
“We are limited,” Tropf said.
“You have two choices — follow the process or move,” Quigley said, adding a third choice would be for the neighbors to confront him as a group and explain their concerns, but the trustees are powerless.
“If the Ohio Revised Code doesn’t permit us to do it, we can’t do it,” he said. “We have to depend on the county agencies.”
While there are many nice homes around Kiwanis Lake, the resident said there are a number of unoccupied houses that have been neglected to a point where they are no longer safe and they attract squatters.
“Now that’s something we can do something about,” Tropf said, recommending they contact the zoning inspector about those properties.
“We have demolished them before,” he said. “We could spend a lot of money tearing down houses.”
Quigley also suggested they contact the county building department to see if the structures can be condemned, but not to expect quick results.
“There’s no urban renewal money out there. Anything takes a while to do,” he said.
Tropf offered to give the group the contact information for the Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District because there may be some funding available to help clean up the littering problem.
Quigley said that process might require a neighborhood petition, but the trustees might be able to use some of the grant money the GTSWMD gives the township.
“They are open to fresh ideas,” he said.
Road Superintendent Doug Zimperman said if the dead trees are in the 40-foot road right-of-way, the township could take them down and Quigley said if dead trees are near poles or power lines, the Illuminating Company might be willing to cut them down.
Trustees also discussed work at the former Newbury Schools property now owned by West Geauga Schools and leased to the township.
Zimperman said the road department is getting the playground rehabilitated with new wood chips and the stadium is being converted into soccer fields by a soccer league.
“The football field looks better than I thought it would,” he said.
Quigley asked about the fifth baseball diamond on the east side of the property and Zimperman said it was never used for baseball games and the infield is all grown up in weeds.
Newbury Township Park Board Chair Jim Stefancin said there has been some talk about setting up a women’s softball league and the east field could be used for that.
“Whatever they need, we will make it work. That field was all premium clay,” he said. “We could reclaim it.”
He also said the chimney swifts are coming into the chimney an Eagle Scout built at the back of Oberland Park just north of the ball diamonds.
Quigley said he found someone to help the park board become a 501c3 organization, which would allow the board to raise money, but Fiscal Officer Bev Sustar said she believes if the board becomes a nonprofit, the township can no longer fund the parks.
She recommended contacting the county prosecutor or auditor on the matter.
“We’ll do our homework before we do that,” Quigley said.
