Motel Owner Asks Belmont County Commission For Help With US 40 Weeds
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- A Lansing-area business owner asked the Belmont County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday to help address overgrown weeds along U.S. 40, saying the vegetation has become so thick in some areas that pedestrians can no longer use the sidewalks.
Bruce Callarik, owner of the Hillside Motel along National Road between Blaine and Lansing, said long stretches of the highway between Brookside and the Blaine Bridge need to be mowed now that the bridge has reopened to traffic.
He said some of the weeds have grown so tall and wide that they block sidewalks.
"People can't walk on them. There's grass and trees laying on them. ... It's really bad," he said.
Callarik also raised concerns about the former AmeriGas property, saying it has become overgrown with weeds and grass and that its parking lot is riddled with large ruts caused by trucks turning around there.
He noted the business has been closed for several years and said he has been unable to contact the current property owner.
Commissioner Vince Gianangeli said the AmeriGas property is in Colerain Township and encouraged Callarik to attend the next Colerain Township Board of Trustees meeting to raise the issue.
Gianangeli, who also serves as the township’s fiscal officer, said the township has property maintenance regulations that could address the problem.
"We do have property maintenance codes," Gianangeli said of the township.
He said township officials could contact the property owner and provide a deadline for cutting the weeds. If the owner fails to comply, the township could pursue legal action and impose fines if necessary.
Commission President Jerry Echemann said he planned to attend an Ohio Department of Transportation meeting later this week and would raise concerns about the overgrown sidewalks with transportation officials.
Callarik said the worst conditions are along stretches of sidewalk bordering hillsides and vacant properties where there are no homes.