Youngstown Receives National Recognition for its Deconstruction Program

Youngstown was recently recognized at ICLEI’s annual Local Action Summit for its Youngstown Deconstruction Initiative (YDI) program. YDI received runner up honors in the Sustainability Leadership Award’s Planning Process Innovation category for midsized cities. Other award categories included Energy Efficiency Innovation, Community Outreach Innovation, and awards for individual members of city staff and elected officials who have made notable strides while working to achieve local sustainability.

The Local Action Summit was held in Washington D.C. from September 24 through September 26, 2010. The annual gathering allows local governments from across the country to participate in seminars, panel discussions, and networking events centered on innovative solutions to creating sustainable cities and communities.

Founded in 1990, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability is an international association of local governments as well as national and regional local government organizations who have made a commitment to sustainable development. ICLEI provides technical consulting, training, and information services to build capacity, share knowledge, and support local government in the implementation of sustainable development at the local level. Their basic premise is that locally designed initiatives can provide an effective and cost-efficient way to achieve local, national, and global sustainability objectives. ICLEI currently has nearly 1,200 members, with over 600 located in the United States.

To date, YDI has completed 7 deconstruction and 8 waste diversion projects, and expects that total to reach 50 by the end of the year. Over 220 tons of building material has been diverted from the landfill for reuse and recycling, creating new jobs in the process.

The recognition received for its deconstruction efforts is just one more example of how Youngstown is regarded as a national Model of Sustainability.

September 27th Youngstown Community Congress Gathering

On  Monday September 27th 6:30 pm in Downtown Youngstown at Trinity United Methodist Church, 30 W Front Street, join the MVOC and an anticipated 1,000 Mahoning Valley residence for the first ever Youngstown Community Congress.  It is free to attend and parking is provided across the street from the church. The reason for this gathering is for residence to have an opportunity to submit questions to important local and state officials as well as potential candidates.  Common topics could range from neighborhood and economic revitalization, clean up of local corner stores, and vacant land as well as land bank issues. The MVOC has invited the Governor, U.S Senate, Attorney General and other state and local officials.  Among those invited conformations have been received from Congressman Tim Ryan, Mayor Jay Williams, Yvette McGee Brown running mate to Governor Strickland, various city council members, Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains, and many more.

If you are interested in attending you can sign up and reserve yourself a seat by clicking here.

Monthly Meeting Updates: August/September 2010

Over the past few weeks the Board of Zoning appeals, City Planning Commission, and the Design Review Committee met to discuss various issues that were brought before them:

Board Of Zoning Appeals
(Tuesday, August 17 2010 @ 1:30pm)

• Case NO. 10-07- St. Dominic's Church appealed  for a variance to reduce the rear yard setback from 30' to 5'; to add an addition on to an existing structure.  The property in question is located at 77 E. Lucius Avenue in an INS, Institutional Zoning District. The Board approved this measure.

•  Case NO. 10-08-Doris Lowe appealed for a variance to reduce the side yard set back on a corner lot from 23' to 6' to construct an enclosed porch.  The property in question is located at 1577 Medford in an R-7.2, Single-Family Residential Zoning District. The Board approved this measure.

Attended- Iris Guglucello, Chuck Sasho, Angelo Pignatelli, Irving Lev
Did not attend- Jason Roller, Heather McMahon

Planning Commission
(Tuesday, August 17, 2010 @2:00pm) 

• REF NO. 04-10 -RE: Legislation- To zone approximately 6.411 acres on meridian road formerly Austintown Township as shown on the Annexation Plat-IL, Industrial Limited.  The Commission recommended to approve this measure.

• REF NO 0510- RE: Legislation- To zone approximately 190.838 acres on Martin Luther King formerly Girard Ohio as shown on the Annexation Plat-IH, Industrial Unlimited.  The Commission recommended to approve this measure.

• REF NO. 06-10 ORD-10-230: The amending ordinance number 94-586, passed by city council on April 26, 1995, which adopted the urban redevelopment plan for the west end of Downtown Youngstown; and the amendment being: to revise the map in Section III (G) (I) on page 59 to remove the building located at 138 West Federal, Liberty/Paramount Theater, from the conversation plan.  The current page 59 will be replaced.  This amendment is required for the proposed removal of blight and saving of the facade for a parking area/public space. The Committee voted to approve this measure.

Attended- Iris Guglucello, Chuck Sasho, Angelo Pignatelli, Irving Lev
Did not attend- Jason Roller, Heather McMahon


Design Review committee
(Tuesday, September 7, 2010 @9:00am)

• Case NO. DRC 10-18: Mohammad Khan proposed to construct a fence.  The property in question is locate at 545 Market Street.  The committee deferred this measure.

• Case NO. DRC 10-19:  The City Printing Company submitted proposal for facade renovations.  The property in question is located at 122 Oakhill Avenue.  The committee deferred this measure.

• Case NO> 10-20: Joe Schiavoni proposed to construct a statue/memorial.  The committee deferred this measure.

Attended- Karen Perkins, Chuck Shasho, Summer Barker, Phil Kidd, Justin Rodgers
Did not attend- Jason Rupe, John DeFrance



Paper copies of the official meeting agendas can be requested from the City Planning Department, located at 9 W. Front St., 3rd Floor, Suite 315.

Grey to Green Festival Saturday September 11 at Wick Park

Youngstown's third annual Grey to Green Festival will be held at Wick Park Saturday September 11.  The purpose of the Grey to Green Festival is to increase awareness of environmental issues that perplex Youngstown and the world.  On Saturday there will be a collaboration of environmentally oriented businesses, community organizations, local and regional agencies in attendance.  This year the three keynote speakers will be Maurice Small of City Fresh in Cleveland, Ohio who will be discussing the importance of urban agriculture,  James Anderson who is the CEO of Evergreen Cooperative will be discussing sustainable green jobs that his company has created in Cleveland, Ohio,    and Michael Gainer of Buffalo Reuse will discuss neighborhood development and deconstruction.  Youngstown's recent partner Global Green will also be in attendance.

The opening ceremony begins at 10am with Mayor Jay Williams and representatives from Congressmen Tim Ryan's office.  The festival concludes at 5pm.

The 2010 Grey to Green Festival Schedule

Youngstown Gains International Interest

Early this month director of Youngstown's Community Development Agency (CDA), William D'Avignon, was contacted by two separate international parties who have developed interests in Youngstown.  Planning to visit Youngstown are two doctorate students from Germany's  RWTH University Aachen, Martin Pudlik and Cyryl Garus, who are working on their dissertations on the development of regional analysis on industrialized regions in Poland and Germany.  Mr. Pudlik and Mr. Garus wish to expand their research to the industrialized areas in Midwestern United States.  The students have asked Mr. D'Avignon to meet with them on Tuesday, October 19th, to discuss issues in Youngstown.

Mr. D'Avignon also spoke with Dr. Sadatsugu Nishiura a professor who is teaching urban planning at Meisei University in Tokyo.  Dr. Nishiura's main area of research is city and regional planning.  For the past 15 years he has been doing research on American planning, and has published many papers on topics such as growth management and smart growth.  Recently Dr. Nishiura has gained an interest in the Youngstown 2010 plan and has many questions and inquiries.  Dr. Nishiura along with a dozen other planners will be visiting Youngstown in October.  Mr.D'Avignon has agreed to meet with them on Monday, October 25th, to discuss the Youngstown 2010 plan.  This will be the second time that they have visited Youngstown.

Monthly Meeting Updates: July/August 2010

Over the past few weeks, the Board of Zoning appeals, City Planning Commission, and the Design Review Committee met to discuss various issues that were brought before them:

Board of Zoning Appeals
(Tuesday, July 20, 2010 @1:30pm)

• Case No. 10-05 -- Randall Courdriet appealed for a variance at 414 Rhoda to reduce the rear syard set back from 9ft to 4ft and to increase the maximum size of an accessory building from 770 sq ft. to 1016 sq ft. The Board approved this measure.
• Case No. 10-06 -- Joseph A. Salus appealed for a variance at 595 Carlotta Dr. to reduce the side yard setback from 8.2 feet to 3 feet to build an attached garage. The Board approved this measure.

City Planning Commission
(Tuesday, July 20, 2010 @2:00pm)

• REF No. 3-10 -- Fred Schulte requested to establish a regulated use, identified as a second-hand store, within a 500 ft. radius of another use. The property is located at 1701 Mahoning Avenue in a business district. The Commission recommended to City Council that this measure be approved.

Design Review Committee
(Tuesday August 3, 2010 @9:00am)

• Case No. DRC 10-17 -- Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA) proposed the reconstruction of concrete areas at WRTA's Federal Station at 340 W. Federal St. The Committee voted to approve this measure. 

Paper copies of the official meeting agendas can be requested from the City Planning Department, located at 9 W. Front St., 3rd Floor, Suite 315.

Monthly Meeting Updates Series

In efforts to provide the public with information about activities within the city, the CDA Communicator will provide monthly updates about issues addressed before the City Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals, and the Design Review Committee. Each of these entities meets once monthly, and official agendas and attendance lists are on file for public record at the Department of Planning. Articles on the Communicator will summarize the issues and indicate the entity's decision on each.

The City Planning Commission is an advisory committee to City Council in matters of land use and planning. Amendments to the zoning map, ordinance, street dedications/vacations, annexations, and detachments all go through the Commission. The Commission then makes recommendations to Council. A resolution passed to Council by the City Planning Commission takes a super majority to reject and a simple majority to pass.

The Board of Zoning Appeals is responsible for making interpretations of the zoning ordinance. Zoning code ordinances allow for some variances. The Board has the power to accept or reject proposals for specific variance requests brought to their attention.

The Design Review Committee reviews all proposals to change the aesthetic appearance of the center city. The Committee reviews proposals for new development, redevelopment, and improvements to existing facilities to determine whether or not they meet city standards. The Committee has the ability to accept or deny a proposal and/or to make recommendations.