Index Home Contact Us!

Boston Heights Overlook

This is a publication of Boston Heights Overlook. Not an official public document by, of or for the Village of Boston Heights OH.

*[All council members were present; also present were Mayor Ray McFall, Clerk-Treasurer Carol Zeman, Engineer Steve Schreiber & Solicitor Russ Pry.]

*[The minutes were corrected to indicate that the returns from the NW water supply survey in the were: 30 interested, 46 not interested, 29 no-response. The name of the Omni Realty representative was corrected to "Greg Baka".]

*[Engineer Steve Schreiber stated that his firm ACLA had prepared preliminary estimates, plans and bid packages for road repairs in the Village. These include the contentious problems on Colesbrooke Road. They had carried out a physical survey of Colesbrooke Road to determine the exact problems with the drainage there, and found these requirements: some driveway aprons to be removed, various culverts reset, replaced or removed, re-ditching, road base stabilization. The stabilization process involves grinding and mixing cement into the road bed, before paving. This process will either close the effected area of the road for 3-7 days, or close each side of the road for a longer total time with higher expense (but better access). Aprons to be removed are those at Colesbrook # 7139, 7110, 7129, 7100, 7096, 7092, 7075. Roadwork would begin about at # 7125. Note: See below for more on this, including Resolution M-2003.

*[Another contingent of Ashbrooke West residents returned to keep an eye on the road repair plans described by Engineer Schreiber, above. Many had turned out at last month's meeting to castigate the village leaders for not attending to these repairs. Many had also attended the Council Finance/Road Committee meeting of 27 May 2003, where some of the repair options were discussed at length. At that meeting, many first became aware of the Village's restriction on concrete driveway aprons, passed in Aug 2001 and now codified as BHCO 903.01(c); see VBH Codified Ordinances CHAPTER 903 "Driveway Entrances and Drainage Pipes".
... Ms. Joani (Genet-)Hedderick, of 7093 Colesbrooke, asked how residents could work with Council to change the restriction on concrete driveway aprons.
... Mayor Ray McFall posed the question to Council and the Solicitor: can it be allowed, if the residents were willing to take financial responsibility for the use of concrete?
... Solicitor Russ Pry replied: "no", not under the current ordinance.
... Councilor Mike Cheung noted that, while the ordinance could be changed by Council, there remained the original issues with cost and safety.
... Councilor Terry Slane cautioned that this issue ought not be permitted to put off the necessary road repairs.
... Solicitor Pry explained that if concrete aprons were replaced by residents without a permit (which can't be obtained), they would in the future bear full financial responsibility (for any necessary removal or repair).
... Mr. Timothy Sleep, of 7075 Colesbrooke, asked for confirmation that there was no permit process that allowed replacement of a concrete driveway apron. Solicitor Pry confirmed this.
... Mr. Joseph Cartellone, of 7083 Colesbrooke, noted that if there had not been problems with the roadway, the aprons would have been left alone, and many existing concrete aprons will remain even in the current situation. He wondered why residents should bear additional costs or be restricted by consideration of future costs, when the current situation was due to the defective roadway.
... Councilor Bela Goncy mentioned that another issue, besides cost, was an occasional problem with village snowplows hitting the edges of concrete aprons, damaging both.
... Engineer Schreiber estimated that, if Council authorized bid solicitation now, repairs on Colesbrooke could be completed around September 2003.
... Mr. James Watson, of 7165 Colesbrooke, asked whether the Norbury entrance to the neighborhood was included in the repair plan. Engineer Schreiber confirmed that it was included.
... Mr. Sleep asked what the plans were for the cul-de-sac center island at the end of Colesbrook; there had been talk of removing the entire island. Engineer Scheiber stated that the island was found to be a separate block privately owned by the Ashbrooke West Homeowner's Association, parcel #1300764, and not a part of the right-of-way itself. While he would like to remove it for better roadway access, it was probably not so simple as that, given that it is private property. He would like to at least reduce it from 24 foot radius to 19 foot radius.
... Another neighbor mentioned her concerns about traffic safety issues arising if the island was removed (reckless driving by local teens), but could support its reduction in the interest of better access to emergency and maintenance vehicles.
... Engineer Schreiber also spoke to earlier discussions of water discharge into the wetlands backing up to part of this neighborhood. He had found that the current discharge lines were properly placed, and that there was nothing could be done about standing water in "defined wetlands"]

ORDINANCE I-2003 [First Reading]	AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE COMPREHENSIVE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE VILLAGE OF BOSTON HEIGHTS CODIFIED ORDINANCES TO ADD A NEW CHAPTER 1177 REGULATING THE REMOVAL OF TREES AND TIMBER FROM PROPERTY AND THE EXCESSIVE PRUNING OF TREES AND TIMBER FROM PROPERTY. [A motion to suspend the rules was defeated 4-2, with Councilors Terri Slane and Jim Hudson nay-saying. Both councilors seemed to feel that the ordinance required further discussion and refinement. A small controversy had arisen at the Public Meeting on this ordinance, earlier in the evening. There was disagreement over the final language of the ordinance in view of the intent of the Planning Commission, and the language it had originally preferred. The conflict was in the applicability of the tree-removal permit process to residential property, and to smaller commercial properties. This will no doubt be further discussed, and perhaps finalized, at the 24 June 2003 meeting of the Finance Committee.]
RESOLUTION K-2003 [Approved as Resolution 11-2003]	A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO PLEDGE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE VILLAGE OF BOSTON HEIGHTS AND SUMMIT COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE (STATE ISSUE II, DISTRICT 8) AND REQUESTING FUNDING APPROVAL FOR THE HERINAFTER DESCRIBED PROJECT: PHASE I AND PHASE H VILLAGE WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. [Solicitor Russ Pry explained that this allowed the Village to apply for (partial) state financing of water lines in the northwest part of the village. It in no way guaranteed that financing.]
RESOLUTION L-2003 [Approved as Resolution 12-2003]	A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO PLEDGE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE VILLAGE OF BOSTON HEIGHTS AND SUMMIT COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE (STATE ISSUE II, DISTRICT 8) AND REQUESTING FUNDING APPROVAL FOR THE HEREINAFTER DESCRIBED PROJECT: REPLACEMENT OF AKRON-CLEVELAND ROAD BRIDGE PROJECT, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. [Engineer Steve Schreiber reiterated that this bridge had been found to be in "poor" condition. The proposed repair project was to include the Village of Boston Heights, County of Summit, and Metroparks Serving Summit County. The Metroparks Bike & Hike Trail runs under the bridge. Note: The County has already passed corresponding legislation. This project is designated SUM CR 16-1.95 by the county; click here for a detailed explanation of the county engineer's current proposal for repairs and financing of this $1.2M project.]
RESOLUTION M-2003 [Approved as Resolution 13-2003]	A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CLERK-TREASURER OF THE VILLAGE OF BOSTON HEIGHTS TO ADVERTISE FOR BIDS FOR ROAD WORK ON OLDE EIGHT ROAD FROM S.R.303 TO NORTH CORPORATION LINE, ON BRANDYWINE ROAD FROM WEST CORPORATION LINE TO OLDE EIGHT ROAD, ON BOSTON MILLS ROAD FROM S.R.8 TO EAST CORPORATION LINE AND ON COLESBROOK DRIVE FROM ELBOW TO CUL-DE-SAC. [In response to a query by Councilor Slane, Engineer Schreiber confirmed that, despite the language above, the bid package does include the earlier-mentioned repairs to the Norbury entrance to Ashbrooke West.]
RESOLUTION N-2003 [Approved as Resolution 14-2003]	A RESOLUTION HIRING AND APPOINTING RUSSELL M. PRY AS SOLICITOR FOR THE VILLAGE OF BOSTON HEIGHTS, OHIO. [Solicitor Pry expressed his thanks.]
RESOLUTION O-2003 [Approved as Resolution 15-2003]	A RESOLUTION INCREASING COURT COSTS FOR THE MAYOR'S COURT OF THE VILLAGE OF BOSTON HEIGHTS FOR THE EFFICIENT OPERATION OF THE MAYOR'S COURT. [Councilor Cheung noted that the increase was from $52 to $58, still low compared to the fees of nearby communities.]
RESOLUTION P-2003 [Approved as Resolution 16-2003]	A RESOLUTION APPOINTING JAMES ROBINSON AS FIRE CHIEF FOR THE VILLAGE OF BOSTON HEIGHTS, OHIO. [See below.]
RESOLUTION Q-2003 [Approved as Resolution 17-2003]	A RESOLUTION COMMENDING FIRE CHIEF WILLIAM C. BALDWIN ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE VILLAGE OF BOSTON HEIGHTS FIRE DEPARTMENT. [Solicitor Pry read the commendation in full. Chief Baldwin was thanked for his many years of service.]

*[Councilor Mike Cheung reported on the Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals meeting of 4 June 2003. He noted that the next meeting would be on 2 July 2003.]

*[Mayor McFall performed the swearing-in of the new Fire Chief, James Robinson. Chief Robinson, decked out in his departmental dress uniform, was greeted with applause.]