Published: October 11, 2007 11:35 pm            

YOUNGSTOWN: Cold Storage building debate continues

Preservationists want to save building for residential development, neighbors want to see it come down

The Cold Storage building in the Village of Youngstown was again the source of debate at Thursday’s Village of Trustees meeting, several weeks after a public hearing on the same subject.

Some village residents, including Harriet “Skeeter” Tower and her sister, MaryAnn Rolland, are pushing to find a use for the for the historic building, which was built in 1913 and for years served as storage for the region’s apple farmers, instead of demolishing it. An active group of people, most of them neighbors, are in favor of demolition but weren’t at the meeting, Deputy Mayor Fred Stephens pointed out.

Village Attorney Thomas Caserta adamantly defended concern from members of the audience, saying there are no contracts with anyone to develop the property yet. Some developers have expressed interest, he said.

“If there is a different proposal we would consider it,” he said.

Tower questioned officials as to whether they had vested interest in knocking the development down for development, comments to which Stephens said he took exception.

A long conversation was recently had between Stephens and Wilson-area developer Ed Hastings, who attended the meeting to publicly declare his interest in developing the property. Hastings, who said he has extensive experience working on such projects, said the structure and location provide a great opportunity for senior housing or loft condominiums.

Stephens stressed at the meeting that the date of a decision on the building’s fate is still a long way off, since the county is still holding it for back taxes owed.

Tempers briefly flared when Tower related a rumor she had heard in the community that someone is going to torch the building down, which Mayor Neil Riordan said was an accusation that did not help dialogue between officials and the public.

Caserta later responded to public criticism that his tone was patronizing and that he was treating audience members as “child-like,” saying that being misquoted disturbed him. He urged Tower to go to police with the source of the rumor so that they can prevent any possible crimes.

        

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