WILLIAMSFIELD TOWNSHIP-The Williamsfield Township trustees are pursuing several grants to help pay for demolishing several old vacant structure in the Stanhope-Kelloggsville Road area in West Williamsfield, says Trustee Gary Babb. At a meeting earlier this month, the board passed resolutions to apply for Community Development Block Grant program dollars and also state funding through Moving Ohio Forward, a funding program out of the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
In addition, trustees have conferred with Ashtabula County Health Department and county building department officials to cite owners at property that is rundon or vacan and not meeting health and building codes.
'We have heard from neighboring property owners for months complaining about why somethis is not done to clean up the areas. one old building we hope to get taken down in the near future is the old burned out former store on Stanhope-Kelloggsville Road," Babb said.
Trustees met with the Ashtabula County Prosecutor Tom Sartini's staff and the county treasurer's office to get the actual last owner of the burnt out side. Babb said the charred ruins has been an "eyesore" for years since the fire.
"I must say we are getting some progress and cooperation from a few landowners to volantarily clean up their properties," said Babb.
The township's zoning inspector, Jim Carpurso is working with the various county offices to get their help in the cleanup projects undertaken by the trustees.
Babb and the other trustees Gordon Eastlake and Tom Martin remind Williamsfield Township residents they are not permitted to do open burning in their backyards.
In certain areas of Williamsfield Township the homes are too close together for example, Babb point out.
"West Williamsfield area around Depot Street and another nearby street has home too close together, so people should not be doing any open burning," he said.
"Everything seems to be going at a snail's pace, but we are gaining on the problems where residents have made compalints at our township meetings," Babb added.
