Boardman plaza owner wants traffic light to remain in place

BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – The owner of a Boardman shopping plaza told the township trustees Monday that he opposes a plan to eliminate a traffic light in front of the plaza.

Vince Fond III operates Applewood Commons on Route 224 where Dick’s is located. The Ohio Department of Transportation plans to eliminate the light and intersection that connects Applewood Commons with the Shops at Boardman Park for safety reasons.

But Fond said it’s already cost him a tenant.

“Right when we were about to have the lease signed, this looked like it was moving far enough along, we disclosed it to our tenant and they immediately pulled out. So I mean as far as economic impact, it has happened already,” Fond said.

The trustees agreed they would write to ODOT and ask that the light and intersection remain intact.

Also at Monday’s meeting, trustees heard from Boardman resident AJ Caraballo who wants to open a marijuana dispensary in Boardman.

Caraballo asked the trustees to lift their moratorium on dispensaries but the trustees decided the moratorium would still stand for the time being.

Boardman Trustees also voted to declare an apartment building on Oles Avenue a nuisance — which could lead to its eventual demolition — and to spend $169,000 to buy 51 license plate reading cameras.

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