Good Morning, Canfield Brings Development Updates
CANFIELD, Ohio – The creation of a new joint economic development district and upgrades to the Village Green could set the stage for big changes for Canfield, Mayor Richard Duffett said Friday at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s Good Morning, Canfield breakfast.
The biggest upcoming change to the city is the newly approved joint economic development district, or JEDD, of the 111-acre Millennial Moments property that faces state Route 224, Duffett said at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center.
Along with a lake, the city has granted permission for businesses such as theaters, gas stations, stores and churches. A clubhouse and pool are to be included in the complex, however, no buildings can exceed 70,000 square feet. The development will follow the city’s 1% income tax rate.
The area will also feature 18 four-unit houses with garages, 13 four-unit two-story lakeside houses and single-family homes. Through the joint district, the township will provide zoning control, road repair services and police protection, while the city will provide connections to public water and sewage systems.
“We got together with the township and the city and deliberated back and forth, and now we’ve signed the papers. It’s going to bring economic development to Canfield,” Duffett said. “The city receives the income tax from the folks that work there and the township receives the property taxes, which help the schools and the Cardinal District Fire Department. There’s a lot of good things that happen in economic development when you do this.”
Downtown, the city has begun the Village Green Utilization project, which will improve the quality and increase the use of the city’s central greenspace. In the works are a farmers market, community days, a Christmas market and the addition of concerts on Thursdays as well as the usual Mondays. Some activities have already been scheduled, such as a community Oktoberfest.
“Canfield has always been a very close community. And the beautiful village green in the center of our city is the envy, really, of most cities in the state, and we’ve had it for a long time,” the mayor said. “We’re trying to bring the city more together by having more family events, more social events.”
His ideas for Canfield are meant to continue to grow the community economically as well.
“We’re looking to bring in more businesses and open some shops and restaurants around the green. We hope that by increasing the vibrancy and activity on the green that more folks will want to put their businesses in Canfield.”
Some recent projects in Canfield include a Cocca’s Pizza on state Route 46, the addition of Scacchetti’s Ironwood Grille just off Route 224 opening in the next month and a 7 17 Credit Union slated to open by spring 2019.
A 2019 comprehensive plan is a part of the city’s economic development efforts, laying out a strategic growth plan for Canfield to bring in more jobs to keep more young people around, while “still keeping the character of Canfield,” the mayor said.
The Cardinal Joint Fire District was another major update during the breakfast. The fire department is looking toward the future to continue to improve ISO ratings, which are awarded every five years and are based on organization, response times and training records.
With a new water tower, new ambulances and 24/7 service, and a new station on Herbert Road, the improvements have already been implemented, as well as a new billing system for ambulance users.
“We now have three stations and three new ambulances, and three more people on duty at all times. Then they can decide to use the ambulance or fire truck,” said Cardinal fire chief Don Hutchison. “One time we had an auto accident and we responded with a fire truck and an ambulance to it. The fire truck got there first, and we were able to get the person out of their car from being trapped and to the hospital within 10 minutes. That’s why it’s so helpful for the fire district to strategically plan and grow like we’ve done.”
Also present at the breakfast was Jessica Cene, marketing and job placement coordinator at MCCTC, who announced the school will begin a new academy model developed by Global Academy, which will provide students more opportunities for lab work, increasing the amount of hands-on experience they will receive.
Pictured: (From left) Beth Smith, 4H educator, Mahoning County; Callia Barwick, 2018-19 4H Queen; Canfield Mayor Richard A. Duffett; Marie Izzo Cartwright, Canfield Township trustee; Don Hutchison, chief, Cardinal Joint Fire District; Alex Geordan, superintendent Canfield Local School District.
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