Monclova Rezoning Will Allow For Commercial Use
BY KRISTEN SCHWEITZER — MIRROR REPORTER
Monclova Township’s commercial development will be expanding in the future, possibly beginning with a Walgreens on Monclova Road.
Trustees voted 2-1 at their August 18 meeting to approve rezoning land in the Triad Business Park, located east of Strayer Road and north of Monclova Road, from M-1 industrial to C-2 commercial. Trustee Brian Craig voted against the change.
During a public hearing prior to the vote, the trustees listened to Andy Ferrara, development specialist with the city of Toledo’s Department of Development, and Monclova residents voice their thoughts on the rezoning.
“We feel this is the best use for this property,” Ferrara said.
According to Ferrara, the city of Toledo will be under contract for a portion of the property.
The land has been divided up into three parcels, one of which the developer plans to be the future location for the Walgreens.
“For the other, the city of Toledo is entering an agreement, and we don’t know the plans for that parcel,” Ferrara said.
Several residents of Monclova voiced their concerns about the zoning change.
Carol Nowotarski, who lives off of Monclova Road, said she and several other residents are not comfortable with the zoning change because of the possibility of additional crime, along with the commercial growth.
“With commercial comes crime, specifically with pharmacies,” she said.
She pointed out that the amount of policing in Monclova is low, citing Sheriff James Telb’s recent address to the board concerning patrols in the township.
“I do not want to see the quietness, uniqueness and ruralness upset by big box stores,” she told the trustees.
She was also concerned about the possibility of a pharmacy not getting enough business and closing up, leaving an empty building. Nowotarski mentioned The Pharm’s recent closing and the availability of several other pharmacies in the area.
“The township would generate more tax dollars from light industrial than commercial,” Nowotarski said.
However, trustee Gary Kuns told Nowotarski the township couldn’t control competition between businesses.
“When you make a point with regard to availability and competition, personally, I think that’s outside the scope of our jurisdiction. It would be like me saying we have too many lawyers so we need to make the bar examination tougher,” he said.
Tom Mollenkopf, another Monclova resident, told the trustees his problem with the zoning change is not knowing what else will be built.
Monclova resident Don Feller recommended holding out on the rezoning until there is cooperation with the city of Toledo on other issues involving the township.
Craig shared his concerns with the other trustees.
“As soon as we’ll change the zoning, Taco Bell can spring up, hotels can spring up,” he said.
Craig said he didn’t think it was a good idea to approve the zoning change for all the land, totaling about 18 acres.
He also cited the city’s lack of cooperation with the Maumee-Monclova-Toledo Joint Economic Development Zone as a reason not to approve the zoning change request.
Kuns mentioned that the zoning change over the 18 acres had been through the planning commission with the recommendation to approve it, and that there was not as much opposition to this zoning change compared to others in the past.
Although he voted for the change, Kuns said he wanted to convey to the mayor of Toledo the township’s unhappiness with the partnership involving the JEDZ.
Also at the meeting, the board:
n Heard Amy Stone, extension educator for Ohio State University, speak about solutions to the emerald ash borer infestation.
Stone discussed the pros and cons of treating trees versus removing infected trees altogether.
“If started early enough, treatments can be pretty successful,” she said.
A bottle of treatment solution can cost between $18.00 and $34.00 and needs to be applied yearly. As the tree grows, more than one bottle may be necessary to keep the tree healthy.
Stone said this solution is best for homeowners who rely on an infected tree as their only source of shade.
“It’s less expensive to remove the plant and start new,” she said.
Kuns suggested a partnership between the township and homeowners if the board agrees to save the trees; however, no determination to save or remove the trees was made at the meeting.
“You really have to sit down and figure out what direction you want to go and what the cost is going to be,” Stone told the trustees.
• Set a public hearing on Monday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss a zoning change request from A/R agricultural/residential to C-1 neighborhood commercial at 6755 Monclova Rd. and a special use permit for 7005 Salisbury Rd. for park use.
• Approved the resignation of Dan Ball from the Monclova Township Fire and Rescue Department.
• Approved sending two firefighters to the Ohio Fire Academy, at a cost of $30.00 each, to learn how to operate the new fire truck the department will acquire this week.
• Approved a resolution for Crystal Ridge street lighting.
• Approved $11,867 for the purchase of a hot water pressure washer for the maintenance department and approved the old one to be sold on govdeals.com.
• Approved hiring Todd Wilson for the worker position in the maintenance department that became available when Ken Bucher was promoted to superintendent. Wilson will be subject to a 90-day probation period.
The next regular meeting of the Monclova Township trustees will be on Tuesday, September 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the township building, 4335 Albon Rd.
AW Treasurer Explains Earned Income Tax
BY KAREN BERGER — MIRROR REPORTER
The Anthony Wayne Local Schools board of education voted Tuesday to proceed with a five-year, 0.5 percent earned income tax on the November ballot.
Only those earning a wage through salary, tips and other compensation will pay the tax, said Kerri L. Johnson, district treasurer and chief financial officer. Income from pensions or annuities, interest earnings, capital gains, lottery proceeds, estate proceeds, alimony, rental income and IRA distributions are exempt from the earned income tax.
For example, a district resident earning a salary of $50,000 a year would pay $250 per year, she said. Collections would begin in January 2009. Projections show the tax would raise about $3.4 million.
Voters passed a 3.3-mil renewal levy in the August election, but turned down a 3.3-mill emergency levy. Without that additional revenue, the district will remain in fiscal caution, a designation given by the state.
In order to move out of fiscal caution, AW will need to show a carryover balance of between 2 and 10 percent of the last year’s operating budget – an estimated $30 million – for three of the five years in its five-year forecast. Johnson has not yet learned from the state what the district’s percentage will need to be to be removed from fiscal caution, but said that the June 2009 balance is estimated at $1 million, or 3 percent of the operating budget.
An income tax is not a new concept to school districts. Locally, Bowling Green, Elmwood, Evergreen, Holgate, Liberty Center, McComb, Otsego, Patrick Henry, Perrysburg, Pettisville and Swanton all have taxes between 0.5 and 2 percent. Eastwood Local Schools in Wood County is one of the few districts in the state to have implemented an earned income tax.
Like Anthony Wayne, Perrysburg has high property values and receives little funding from the state, so the district relies upon both a property and an income tax, said Perrysburg treasurer Matt Feasel.
The Perrysburg schools’ $38 million operating budget included $5.6 million in income tax in 2007, he said. Like most districts, 80 to 85 percent of that budget pays for staffing.
Although the district also has a property tax, Feasel said an income tax is more fair.
“If someone loses their job, there’s not that tax liability like a property tax,” he said.
The next Anthony Wayne board of education meeting is Monday, September 8 at 6:00 p.m. at the district’s central office, 9565 Bucher Rd., Whitehouse.
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