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Mahoning County township undergoing infrastructure improvements
Located in the eastern portion of Mahoning County, Coitsville Township has undergone a number of infrastructure improvements in recent years, as officials work to attract more businesses that offer services for those living in the community.Township Pictured left to right, Clerk Christeen Partika, Trustee Jerry Backo, Trustee Phyllis Miller-Johnson, County Commissioner Anthony Traficcanti, former County Commissioner Dave Ludt, Trustee Greg Haren, and former County Commissioner John McNally.
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: September 19, 2013
Located in the eastern portion of Mahoning County, Coitsville Township has undergone a number of infrastructure improvements in recent years, as officials work to attract more businesses that offer services for those living in the community.
“Our main goal is to extend sewer and water lines along U.S. Route 422, which is the portion of the township that has been established as an enterprise zone for industrial growth and development,” said Trustee Greg Haren, who has lived in the township for 25 years.
“We live outside the hustle and bustle of the metropolis and that is how we like it. However, it would be nice to have a gas station around that is a five-minute drive away versus 15 or 20 minutes away.”
“The administration tries to make good use of grant monies that are available, such as a community development block grant that we used to put in a water line along State Route 616 for homeowners who had failing wells,” said longtime Coitsville Township Trustee Phyllis Miller-Johnson.
Haren, who is a contractor and co-owner of Enertech Electrical and The Conti Corporation in Lowellville, said when he was elected four years ago one of his campaign promises was to restore some of the older buildings in town.
“In the last few years, the township administration put a new roof on the fire station, updated and renovated our town hall meeting room and the part of the building that residents can rent out for community functions,” said Haren.
That’s not all. In May 2013 the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) began a bridge replacement project at the intersection of routes 616 and 422.
“The two bridges serve as the portal of entry into Coitsville, Campbell and the city of Youngstown,” said Miller-Johnson. “The project includes a state-of-the-art traffic signal. The administration plans to work with the city of Youngstown to beautify the area around the two bridges with landscaping.”
Miller-Johnson said a large portion of the township is agricultural and consists of families that have lived in Coitsville for many generations.
Children who live in Coitsville attend school in five different districts, she said.
For years, school districting has created quite a controversy as a grassroots organization known as the Concerned Citizens for Quality Education has been trying to have the township removed from the Youngstown school district. The group wants students to be placed in schools in Lowellville and Hubbard, which are highly rated. Many students already go there since the districts have open enrollment. The fight came to a head most recently in 2008 when a request to remove the township from the Youngstown district and transfer the students to Lowellville and Hubbard was made to the state school board. At the time, Youngstown schools were under academic watch. Youngstown fought the transfer and in 2009 the state school board denied the request. A Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge reversed the decision, but in 2011, the 10th District Court of Appeals ruled against the group.
“It was a long battle and the group fought tooth and nail, but Youngstown eventually won,” said Haren. “There are still not too many people who send their children to Youngstown. If they can’t get into the other districts, many students go to parochial schools.”
Since the township is rural in nature, the bulk of the businesses are located in the designated enterprise zone along U.S. Route 422. “In this portion of the township we are trying to promote growth but the lack of sewer and water is holding us back,” said Miller-Johnson. “Through the support of the Mahoning County Sanitary Engineer’s Office and the Mahoning county commissioners, external sources of revenue are being explored for the purpose of extending a sanitary line up U.S. Route 422.”
One business that already exists that would benefit from the sewer and water extension is Iron and String Life Enhancement (ISLE), which provides residential, respite, transportation, advocacy, vocational training and day habilitative programming to mentally and developmentally challenged individuals in Mahoning and Trumbull counties in Ohio and Mercer and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania.
ISLE has three facilities, two in Youngstown and The Purple Cat at Farmer Casey’s Ranch in Coitsville Township. The Purple Cat has been operating at the Coitsville location at 4738 McCartney Rd. for four years, providing employment, training and recreation for dozens of clients.
“Some of our clients work the farm, garden and create art for shows,” said Purple Cat Director Jill Perencevic. “About 80 percent are paid. In addition we employ 13 people to oversee our clients at the ranch and multiple drivers to transport our clients to and from the day program.”
Perencevic said plans are in the works to add a natatorium to the facility that would allow clients to swim on a regular basis. “We already make use of the pool at the YMCA and other places but this would allow us to provide our clients with a pool all the time, whether they are at this facility or one of the others.”
The only thing holding up the project is the lack of sewer and water. “Right now we are using well water and a septic system. We cannot build the pool until the water and sewer lines are in place, which we believe will happen in the next couple of years,” said Perencevic.
In addition to the Purple Cat, there are some industrial and manufacturing businesses along Route 422 including Advanced Recycling Systems, Corcon Inc., an industrial paint company that works on bridges, power plants, towers and other large structures, Vimas Painting Co. and Angelo’s Auto Sales.
Lyco Manufacturing Inc., a metal fabrication company located on North Hubbard and McGuffey roads, is one of the larger employers in the township.
Coitsville is also home to two 18-hole golf courses, Bedford Trails and Knoll Run.
“These golf courses attract many visitors to the township, who enjoy the golfing and dining found at both of these courses,” said Miller-Johnson.
There is also Parto’s Big on Golf, where beginners and experts can go to practice their swing, along with King’s Motel, and several restaurants like Bogey’s Bar and Grill, which Miller-Johnson said draws people from other communities.
Haren said another popular eatery is Barb’s Cozy Corner.
The township does not have a grocery store, but there is a convenience store, Tic Toc Food Mart located on U.S. Route 422.
“Coitsville has a well-know veterinarian, Dr. Robert Maro, who has a flourishing business on 422 that draws clients from all over the area including Pennsylvania,” said Miller-Johnson. “Victory Christian Church is also located on U.S. Route 422 and is one of the largest churches in the area, with a congregation of well over 10,000 members.”
The township has its own police department, which operates full time and a volunteer fire department.
“We run first responder emergency medical services but we do not transport,” said Haren.
Township officials rely primarily on property taxes to make ends meet, with some money from the Local Government Fund, which Haren said has been severely cut.
“Residents recently supported the renewal and increase of a police levy to help us continue to maintain our quality services,” said Miller-Johnson.
“We are financially sound and fiscally conservative,” said Haren. “We don’t spend what we do not have and we apply for grants when we can.”
During the economic downturn, the township did not have any layoffs or service cuts.
Officials are in the process of using about $25,000 in Moving Ohio Forward money to demolish five dilapidated properties. So far, one property has been torn down.
While many landowners have leased their property for gas and oil drilling, there is not any fracking going on as yet, however, there are active shallow or Clinton wells.
“The focus on fracking has been more in Southern Ohio,” said Miller-Johnson. “The injection well on U.S. Route 422 has been closed by the state, and it is hoped that it will remain closed.”
In 2007, officials dedicated the Coitsville Township Memorial Park, which is on two acres of land along U.S. Route 422. “Dorothy and Clarence Morse originally owned the land and wanted this site to serve as a 9/11 memorial as well as a place to honor our safety forces,” said Miller-Johnson.
“Dorothy was the president of the Coitsville Historical Society.She is deceased.
“We are in the process of using grant monies received from The Youngstown Foundation to remodel the pavilion and widen the sidewalks to make the site more handicap-accessible,” said Miller-Johnson.
Established in 1798, Coitsville Township has around 1,600 residents today, about 40 percent are senior citizens. Officials are looking to create a senior/recreation center at the Coitsville Presbyterian Church, which is closed.
“Right now it’s more of a grassroots effort, but it does have the support of the township,” said Miller-Johnson. “The building needs work and we are in the process of doing a needs assessment survey of our residents to determine if there would be support for a community center. If there is a need, we will have to explore funding options.”
Miller-Johnson said the township encourages community involvement, holding events like the annual steak fry, pancake breakfasts and other things, which bring people together while raising money to help buy equipment for the various departments.
“The township has a very active Ladies Auxiliary, which supports the township through various fundraisers, such as their annual Amish-style dinner,” Miller-Johnson.
“One means of establishing good communication with the township is through our township newsletter, the Coitsville Reader,” said Miller-Johnson, the editor of the newsletter. The newsletter comes out twice a year and keeps residents informed of what is happening in the township.”
Coitsville is the boyhood home of William Holmes McGuffey. The college professor and author created elementary school texts (the ECLECTIC READERS) that were used for more than 70 years at schools in the United States. The home site was designated a National Historic Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places in the ‘60s.
The home is no longer standing and the site is now the McGuffey Wildlife Preserve. Operated by Mill Creek MetroParks, walkers and hikers use the 78-acre area.
“We are a small community but we have a lot going on,” said Miller-Johnson.