Brookfield trustees have sold two pieces of township-owned property in Masury, although Trustee Dan Suttles opposed one of the sales.
The trustees offered for public bid vacant property at 492 Syme Street and 8059 Davis Street. The township has been paying taxes on the lots because they were not acquired for township use.
Ann Womer of 496 Syme Street tendered the only bid for 492 Syme, $3,100. The two properties abut each other, and Womer said she has been cutting the grass on the township-owned parcel.
She said at the bid opening on Sept. 23 that she wants to build a carport on 492 Syme.
“Every flippin’ winter I get plowed in.” Womer said. “I don’t have a driveway to get it off the street. I have to park it out in front of my house.”
The property at 8059 Davis St. was sold to Rhonda Davis Double and Eric Law for $2,100. They submitted the only bid.
Double wants to build a swimming pool on the property, which abuts her home, said Trustee Ron Haun.
The trustees approved the sales Nov. 7, prior to Haun’s resignation.
Suttles said he did not want to sell the property to Double because of ongoing issues at a property at 720 Fern St. owned by Double and her husband, Wesley.
Trumbull County Combined Health District in August filed a criminal charge against Wesley Double for failing to clean up solid waste at 720 Fern St. Wesley Double has pleaded not guilty, and the case is pending in Trumbull County Eastern District Court.
Because of the condition of 720 Fern, the Trumbull County Land Bank was not interested in acquiring it because of what would be involved in getting it cleaned up, Suttles said.
“There’s tires, there’s debris,” he said. “I’m just cautious that this property (8059 Davis) could turn into a property just like that (720 Fern).”
Haun and Trustee Mark Ferrara both said Suttles’ argument was “well-taken,” but other factors convinced them to go through with the sale.
Ferrara said he didn’t believe anyone else would be interested in 8059 Davis, and that selling it to the Doubles gives the township $2,100 plus the property tax money they will pay in the future.
“Maybe it will give them some impetus to clean it up, what they can do,” Ferrara said.
Haun called 720 Fern “a huge dumpsite,” but said he didn’t believe the Doubles were solely responsible for its condition.
“There was a lot of illegal dumping that they weren’t even aware of that was happening on that property,” he said.
“I have a tendency to lean towards what Mark said as far as bringing that property (8059 Davis) back on the tax rolls,” Haun said. “We’ve had it a good number of years in the township’s hands. The way it was explained to me from Ms. Double, is that they want to put a pool on there and try and do some more work on there, basically for homeowner purposes. I don’t think we’re gonna receive any other bids on that. With the deed restrictions we have on it, I don’t foresee it being a problem and, if it does become a problem, our property maintenance guy, we have teeth that we’ll be able to follow up with that on.”
The deed restrictions prohibit the property from being used for the manufacture or storage of explosives, gunpowder, or fireworks; the dumping, storing, burying, reducing, disposing or burning of junk, garbage, refuse, tires, car parts, construction materials, appliances, scrap metal, or medical waste; the storing of inoperable or unlicensed vehicles; or any other use that constitutes a hazard to the health or safety of the public.
Both lots are less than 1 acre in size.
