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Mahoning County township experiences residential influx
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: April 11, 2013
Located in southeastern Mahoning County, Beaver Township is almost like two communities rolled into one, with the southern portion devoted primarily to farming and the other end designed to cater to those looking for a place to gas up or spend the night.
“We are the first exit in Ohio off the turnpike for drivers leaving or going to Pennsylvania,” said Richard J. Martin, Beaver Township zoning inspector. “Most of our businesses are in the northeastern corner of the township, where the Route 7 corridor intersects with the Ohio Turnpike Interchange, bordering Boardman Township.”
In fact, the township is served by quite a few major state highways, including State Routes 7, 14, 46, 164, 165, 626 and the State Route 11 expressway.
To accommodate the needs of travelers there are multiple hotels ranging from a Holiday Inn Express and America’s Best Value Inn to a Super 8, along with several gas stations and a host of fast food restaurants.
“The turnpike necessitates fast food,” said Martin. “We have a new Arby’s on the way at Interstate 680 and Western Reserve Road.”
In addition to regular motorists, Beaver Township is also a popular stop for truck drivers.
“The Ohio Turnpike allows triple trailers,” said longtime trustee and lifelong resident Ronald Kappler. “A lot of truckers stop off here to switch trailers.”
While the township attracts more than its share of transient traffic, it has also been growing residentially.
“Over the last 10 years we have seen a drastic influx of residents leading to an expansion in single-family homes as well as planned unit developments,” said Martin.
He said there is also an increase in upscale development, like the kind taking place at Pine Lake Reserve off Market Street, which features high-end homes, villas and condominiums. The most recent addition is Avellino il Legato, which is going up on the shore of Pine Lake.
Between 2002 and 2003, the township hired a private engineering company to revamp its comprehensive land use plan, including the zoning regulations. Martin said the new plan created 10 different zoning classifications ranging from agricultural to commercial.
“The old zoning was based upon the height of the steel mill operations,” said Martin. “The intention was to develop a corridor that would stretch from Trumbull through Mahoning counties and into Columbiana and East Liverpool all the way to the Ohio River where steel would be offloaded. After the steel industry went by the wayside, much of the existing zoning was out of whack with present conditions.
“The majority of the township is now devoted to residential uses,” said Martin. “The zoning is much more definitive, separating the residential and agricultural parts from the business district.”
Today there are about 8,000 residents in the township and the budget has expanded to accommodate the additional services.
“When I first started our budget was about $1 million, now it is about $6 million,” said Kappler, who also owns Yoder Auto Service.
“Our police department has grown as well. We now have a K-9 division and we have started a crime watch. Our fire department has all new equipment and we went from a part-time fire chief to one who is full time. We recently added a recycling center.”
Although there are a lot of hotels and fast food chains, the largest employer in the township is Sheely’s Furniture & Appliance on South Avenue. Other large businesses include Joe Dickey Electric Inc. on West South Range Road and East Fairfield Coal, also on South Avenue.
All three are located in the unincorporated section of the township known as North Lima.
In addition, there are also used car lots, a Dollar General, a supermarket (Sparkle), as well as non-chain restaurants, including Steamers Tavern, which serves seafood, pasta and steak.
“It’s an upscale restaurant right off the Ohio Turnpike exit in Beaver Township and it’s very popular,” said Martin.
The township is part of the South Range Local School District, which recently opened a brand new K-12 campus, with an athletic facility.
The state is using a federal grant to add left turn lanes to the north- and sound-bound lanes of S.R. 46 at the entrances to the campus and athletic facility. A portion of the athletic facility is located on the opposite side of the roadway. In addition, a pedestrian tunnel will be built underneath the roadway to improve safety. The changes are expected to be complete in 2014.
“I raised my family here,” said Kappler. “We have always had great schools.”
There are three parks, Memorial, Woodworth and the Beaver Township Nature Preserve on S.R. 165.
Purchased in 2003 with the help of a grant from the Ohio Public Works Clean Ohio Fund, the nature preserve features walking trails, an open-air pavilion, picnic areas and natural vegetation and forestry. It also features educational programs sponsored by the Park Board.
Woodworth Park is located off East Western Reserve Road and contains a baseball field, playground and pavilion and is used to hold the summer concert series and special events.
Memorial Park is the oldest one in the township and includes a small pond, baseball field and pavilion.
There is also a private indoor baseball and softball practice complex called Sluggers of Ohio at 9862 S. Avenue Ext. and the Boardman Tennis Center at 1223 W. Western Reserve Rd.
The township was among a select few to escape the recent downturn relatively unscathed. There were no service cuts or layoffs and only a few foreclosures.
“We were not overstaffed to start with, and we’ve always watched our money pretty carefully,” said Kappler. “We did lose state funding and estate tax but we never relied on estate tax because it was always unpredictable. We did use it (estate tax) for special projects.”
“Most of our services are supported by levies,” said Martin. “The township only sees a small portion of the property tax. We do get a bed tax from the hotels and motels, which helps from a revenue standpoint.”
Officials are expecting more businesses to arrive once the oil and gas boom reaches the township.
“We don’t have any wells yet,” said Kappler. “There is already a lot of fracking happening in Columbiana County and I see that as the next big thing here. Once the fracking starts more businesses will open to support the operations.
“We do have residents opposed to it. I’m hoping that the farmers can make a lot of money so they can keep their farms and not have to sell their farms to developers,” Kappler said.
“One of our main goals in the future will be to maintain measured growth in the business and residential communities,” said Martin. “Even though there has been a lot of growth it’s still small town in nature. Most everyone knows everyone and when new people move in, the community takes them in.
“Personally I love the rural parts and we are right next to Boardman where there is plenty of shopping and a lot of restaurants,” Martin said.