Burton Village residents are starting to see some promising activity with a local landmark, the Burton Fox Inn on the square.
Mayor Jim Koster told village council on Sept. 25 the new owner, Ross Hornak, has started clearing the brush that had grown up behind and next to the historic building.
Zoning Inspector Rick Gruber said ownership of the property, bought at auction in April for $140,400, transferred recently from previous owner Charles Imars.
Hornak has not applied for any permits or zoning variances, Gruber said.
The historic inn was deteriorating for years before Geauga County Treasurer Chris Hitchcock decided last year the property would be sold to cover back taxes.
Hornak, who owns TRI Excavating and Construction in Burton, also renovated an historic house on the square that is now home to LuLu Tru Holistic Beauty & Wellness, a salon that his wife, Dawn, runs.
Councilman Joe Hernandez, who is on the village historic review board, said after the meeting he believes Hornak might be researching grants to help renovate the building and maintain its character.
“It’s very promising. He’s cleaned it up quite a bit. He wants to keep it as close to its historic value as possible,” Hernandez said. “It sounds like a very strong ownership.”
In other business, council agreed to ask the village planning commission to revisit a proposed ordinance regulating garage sales.
On Monday, Koster said the village tries to work with people on such sales, but some residents have allowed their yards to be used for yard sales by non-residents during special events in the village.
“We don’t want to over-regulate — or under-regulate,” he said, adding the village needs to be able to control garage or yard sales so they don’t get out of hand.
Gruber said regulations on yard and garage sales are hard to enforce. Residents selling household items all put up multiple signs directing drivers to their sales.
“Signs are my biggest headache in the village. I go around pulling out signs; I can’t keep up with it,” he said.
Generally, he addresses repeat garage sale offenders.
“If I see somebody having a garage sale week in and week out, then it’s a business,” said Gruber.
Koster said some teeth are needed for enforcement and recommended the issue be referred back to the planning commission.
Councilman Charles “Skip” Boehnlein said a resident asked him how interested parties find out what council will be discussing and acting on in the twice-a-month meetings. Topics of concern included council voting to allow demolition of the house next to the fire department and the village moving to a single trash hauler system, he said.
Hernandez said such notices are published in the Geauga County Maple Leaf and members of the media attend all meetings and report on them. However, there has been discussion about informing the public about such meetings or emergencies through telephone messages.
Koster said it is expensive to put legal notices in the newspaper and residents should be able to find out about special council meetings on the village website.
With only two people in the village office, it is difficult to get information online about every meeting, Koster said. Council members get agenda drafts a few days before each meeting but topics can change up until the day of the meeting, he added.
One possibility would be to do an email blast one or twice a month.
“We will try better to do some of that,” Koster said.
Resident Nathan Tiber asked council why the village turned Spring Street into a gravel road rather than patching the asphalt.
“We don’t have the money to pave it, not even close,” said Boehnlein, adding more patching is not a satisfactory solution. “The road’s needed attention for eight or nine years. (Chip and seal) was our least expensive, viable repair option.”
Chip and seal is the best way to keep a residential road together if asphalt can’t be used, he said.
The layer of tar covered with gravel makes the road look like a gravel road, initially, but when it is swept after it has settled, it will look much better, said Councilman Nick Tromba.
Tiber said if that were the case he would be satisfied.
Fiscal Officer Chris Paquette said the Burton Village Board of Public Affairs wants to replace the water line along West Center Street, between Rapids and Elmar roads, and recommends the new line be run behind the sidewalk so as not to interfere with the gas main and the storm sewer running under the tree lawn.
That stretch of water line has had serious leaks several times in the last few years.
Village Engineer George “Chip” Hess said as long as the clay tile storm sewer is still working he recommended the new line be put behind the sidewalk.
“If you dig near clay tile, it falls apart,” he said.
