Amherst News-Times, 1999-01-06

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Man tussles with cops outside pub — Page 6      Comets defeat Sailors — P?nft 7
Amherst News-Tim
Wednesday, January 6.  1999
Amherst.  Ohio
Area church plans buy
of closing Legion hall
A
by QLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
American Legion Post #118
will become a place of worship pending the completion
of financing by the Trinity
Evangelical Free Church.
The sale of the post ends
fears of commercial development in the neighborhood and
resolves space problems the
church has encountered since
shortly after moving into the
former post office building on
Park Avenue about 18 months
ago.
The church's tease with the
City of Amherst, which owns
the former post office, expired
Dec. 31. A lease extension
will enable the church to remain in the building until the
legion hall can be renovated.
The sale is expected to
close Jan. 28 if everything
goes as planned. The price
was not disclosed.
Pastor Mark Wilke estimated the renovations should
be completed by mid-March,
after which he hopes the congregation will be able to have
its first service in the new
facility.
The American Legion announced the building would
be sold in November because
of the loss of its liquor
license. The Ohio Department
of Liquor Control revoked the
license because of repeated
violations that have occurred
over the last several years.
Post officials said the decision was prompted by the
realization they could not afford to maintain the facility
without income from the sale
of alcoholic beverages to
members.
The pending sale resurrected fears among Middle
Ridge Road and Elyria Avenue residents that the legion
would seek to have the post
rezoned for possible commercial development.
But churches are allowed
under residential zoning, according to city officials.
Area attorney Kenneth
Stumphauzer, who arranged
the sale, called it "a win-win
situation for everyone
concerned."
"The folks (American Legion officials) are very pleased
with this because it meets
everyone's needs, their's, the
neighbors' and the church's,"
he added. "The use of the
CONTINUED on page 2
...»   M.   '
American Legion post.
Useless plots
put up for sale
to help aid city
park fund drive
by OLEN MLLER
News-Times reporter
The sale of six pieces of city land
will help the city meet its share of
$600,000 it has committed to a
proposed $1.8 million West Side
Park.
The city is hoping to raise at least
$300,000 from sale of the properties
over the next six months, the remaining half of its contribution to
the joint venture with the Lorain
County Metroparks.
Rather than borrow the remaining
money, mayor John Higgins said he
hopes his decision to sell excess city
Ind will be sufficient
So far. about $300,000 in impact
fees paid by residential and commercial developers over the last few
yean has been set aside for the park.
The nearly 60-acre park, which
will be built between N. Main and
N. Lake streets, was announced in
late 1997. The county park district
will contribute another $600,000
while the remaining third must
come from public sector donations.
The city property includes two
and a half acres of valuable lakef-
ront land in Lorain. Sealed bids for
it and leas than a half-acre of land
on Park Avenue will be opened Feb.
18 at noon in city hall.
Located dh W. Erie Avenue, the
lakefront property has been assessed
at $250,000. It was purchased in the
late '50s for a possible water treatment plant but never used because
of die expense of laying pipe between the two cities.
Valued at $20/100. the Park Avenue land is occupied by an old city
department garage and it
prime residential development property, according to Higgins.
Four other pieces of property will
be assessed and sold this spring and
summer. They include LS acres of
unused and inaccessible property on
Ridgeland Drive set aside for park
use years ago. and residentially
zoned land on N. Main Street. Both
will be sold to the highest sealed
bidders this spring pending the approval of city council.
The others are about three acres
on Maple Street, some of which
may be retained for surface water
control, and a smaller parcel on
Long Street They will be sold this
summer.
Most of the land was given to the
city years ago by developers in lieu
of the payment of impact fees, a
practice the mayor said is no longer
done.
The city's share is separate from
$600,000 that is in the processes of
being raised in contributions from
residents and businesses in the Am-
ncrst &rc8<
To date, all but about $60,000 has
been contributed or pledged by the
public sector, although Higgins said
the city and metroparks are not
slowing down in their fundraising
momentum. That's because they
would like to conclude public sector
fundraising by the end of January so
planning can begin in the spring, he
added.
Plans for the park include a children's playground, a picnic area and
shelter, a mile-long walking and
biking path and a large natural
wooded area. The park's main entrance will be located immediately
CONTINUED on page 2
Sign for the times
Amherat Merchants Association leader Dave
Fox cute a ribbon unvleling naw city signs
erected by tha newly formed group'a efforts.
From left to right, other residents who sponsored
the signs are councilman Tarry Traster, Judy Be-
cknagel, Dave Moore. Geri Diednck, Sandy Fooa
and Jeanne Pogorelc. Large signs are erected In
front of the Amherat Utilities Complex and De-
PaoiaPartt
Former
property
inspector
under gun
Former Amherst commercial
building inspector Ken Klingshirn is
under investigation by the Ohio
Board of Building Standards
(OBBS) because of preliminary
findings of wrongdoing in his work
in Oberlin and Perkins Township.
OBBS spokesperson Lori Mitri
said a preliminary investigation
showed Klingshirn incorrectly enforced newer building codes on the
owners of five older rooming
houses. There were also cases in
which he tried to enforce issues outside of his authority, including
plumbing violations, she added.
The board directed its staff to
conduct a full investigation of
Klingshirn last month after the preliminary investigation done in September revealed the wrongdoings.
Mayor John Higgins said he has
not yet been contacted by the OBBS
but is willing to cooperate if he is.
The agency has received numerous complaints about Kingshini's
work, although Mitri said the investigation is limited to Oberlin and
Perkins Township work.
Higgins opted not to renew
Klingshirn's contact in. early
November because he wanted to
place commercial hMpsetJoai under
the authority of Ron Konowal, the
city's residential building inspector
for the last several years.
The mayor said the change wil
enable the city to save money.
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iNevenneiess, ne auminea receiving
numerous complaints about Klingshirn's 'HfpwtKwt since
mayor in 1996.
OBBS ordered
vestigation in response to
plaints trom Obcrun roomina bouse
owners and other sources, but none
from Amherst Mitri said.
Klingshirn was Amherst's commercial and
CONTINUED on
What a year: a look back at the news of 1998
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