7/18/2012 - West Side Leader
     

FAIRLAWN — Following the July 16 Fairlawn City Council meeting, the move of A. Schulman’s headquarters from its current location on West Market Street to the new Fairlawn Corporate Park is all but set.

The company is moving to the corner of Ridgewood Road and South Cleveland-Massillon Road, land currently owned by the city of Fairlawn. Council approved several ordinances during the meeting that Mayor William Roth said will allow the city to sell a portion of the acreage to a developer and also to make necessary improvements to the entire city-owned property.

“We own the 56 acres at the corner of Ridgewood and Cleveland-Massillon roads and one ordinance was to split off 4.6 acres. The second ordinance was to transfer those 4.6 acres to the Fairlawn Community Improvement Corporation (CIC),” the mayor said. “The other ordinance that was passed gave me authority to sign the memorandum of understanding, which is being made into a formal contract. The city has agreed to transfer the 4.6 acres to the CIC, and the CIC has agreed to sell the land to the builder [Landridge Development LLC]. The builder has agreed they will lease the space for 20 years to [A. Schulman], and Schulman has agreed to lease the building for the 20 years.”

Roth said Council also agreed to pay $760,000 for improvements to the entire city-owned property.

“We’re running sanitary sewer, storm sewer, city water and the fiber optic cable and conduit,” he said. “The cost of the land — the purchase price of $560,000 — covers all of that cost for the property itself. But on Ridgewood Road, there’s at least two, maybe three, developable lots that’s all city property. So the extra cost of connecting point A to point B, that’s what raises the price up to the $760,000. That includes independent inspection of the project, which you do on a construction project.”

Roth said the city is advancing the money now so the construction can start immediately.

“Landridge is going to pay the CIC $560,000 for the land, and that money will go back to the city,” he said.

According to Roth, the additional money spent by Fairlawn to improve the city-owned land outside of the Schulman acreage “is an investment by the city.”

“For those lots on Ridgewood, all of the infrastructure will be in place for future development,” he stated.

Roth said the value of the city-owned property varies.

“We have appraisals done every year,” he said. “I can’t give you a land value, but obviously it’s enhanced by the adding of the infrastructure.”

The mayor said A. Schulman is looking to move into the new property by “March or April of next year.”

“There’s a preconstruction meeting next week, so really the only thing out there is the closing date, which will occur in August or September,” he said. “But from our perspective, everything is really now in place.”

Construction on the property will be done by Liberta Construction, Roth said.

A groundbreaking for A. Schulman’s new headquarters was expected to take place yesterday, July 18.

Also during the meeting:

• Council unanimously approved a resolution waiving and suspending the annual fee for the Andrew E. Sombati Compactor and Recycling Facility from Aug. 1 through July 31, 2013.

Roth said the fee varies by year, but typically would be “around $75” per household.

“Based on our finances this year, we can again waive the fee,” he said.

Councilman James Butler (Ward 1) asked how many people in the community take advantage of the service.

Deputy Service Director Ernie Staten said 79 percent of the city’s residents use the compactor.

• A resolution declaring Aug. 11 “Household Hazardous Waste Day” in Fairlawn was unanimously approved.

On Aug. 11, Fairlawn residents will be able to dispose of household hazardous waste at the city’s service department, located at 3300 Fairlawn Service Drive, from 9 a.m. until noon.

The department will accept solvents, paints, miscellaneous flammable materials, pesticides, aerosols, oil, e-waste materials (such as computers, monitors and printers) and household batteries (alkaline, nickel cadmium and mercury). All containers must be 5 gallons or less.

“We will also take latex paint this year,” Staten said. “We’ll take most everything.”

For more information about the program, go to www.cityof fairlawn.com.

• An ordinance accepting the bid of Mulch Makers of Ohio for the 2012 leaf pick-up program was given a first reading.

Roth said the bid of $62,521 was the only bid the city received.

“This is the company we’ve had for years, and we’re very comfortable with their program,” added Staten.

Mulch Makers of Ohio has handled Fairlawn’s leaf pick-up program since 2004.

Staten said dates for this year’s program have yet to be set.

• Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting the county’s creation of the Summit County Land Reutilization Corp. and its application for the Ohio Attorney General Office’s Moving Ohio Forward Grant Program.

“It’s a brand new program,” Roth said. “The money is geared toward blighted properties in the area.”

The resolution states the program assists communities with the demolition of “abandoned, vacant or blighted” properties.

• Fire Chief Russ Hose said his department received a $3,000 grant from the Ohio Division of Emergency Medical Services for training and equipment.

Councilman Russell Sharnsky (at large) asked whether it was an annual grant.

“We apply annually, but we don’t always get it,” Hose said.

• An ordinance extending the deadline for filing claims with the city’s Residential Housing Assistance Board until Oct. 31 was given a first reading.

The board provides financial assistance for private residential property owners’ efforts to stop or reduce flooding by implementing water control devices, according to city officials.

“In the past, we set the deadline at the end of August, but with the dry weather, it makes sense to move the deadline back,” Roth said. “For the past two to three years, we’ve extended the deadline.”

• Council passed a resolution endorsing and supporting the Summit Food Policy Coalition’s Summit County Food Charter.

According to the resolution, the Summit Food Policy Coalition is an organization dedicated to “improving healthy food access” for all county residents and “spurring economic opportunities for existing and beginning farmers.” The charter is “aimed at guiding individual and community actions for the support of a local food and regional food industry,” according to the resolution.

“I think this is a worthy goal for the county as a whole,” said Councilman Bryan Nace (Ward 3).

• Butler said he has noticed crowds for this year’s summer concerts have been “smaller than usual.”

Parks and Recreation Director Laurie Beisecker said the unusually warm weather is to blame.

“Some families with small children that normally come out haven’t because of the heat,” she stated.

This week’s Friday Night Concert, featuring Stephen E & H Music, will take place tomorrow, July 20, at 7 p.m. at the Bicentennial Park Gazebo, 3486 S. Smith Road.

• City Engineer Nick Spagnuolo said Perrin Asphalt has completed the construction on Embassy Parkway.

• Beisecker said there will be a Park Board meeting July 25 at 6 p.m. in the mayor’s conference room of Fairlawn City Hall, 3487 S. Smith Road.

The next Fairlawn City Council meeting is set to take place Aug. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. The next Committee-of-the-Whole meeting is scheduled for Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

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