Despite Middlefield Village’s efforts to fast track a new business over the last few weeks, the venture slated for the middle of town was withdrawn by Ralph Spidalieri last Thursday.
His announcement came during a shouting match between businessman Spidalieri, who is a Geauga County Commissioner, and village Mayor Ben Garlich.
In the end, Spidalieri said he will remove the framing of a structure built in the parking lot of his business, Great Lakes Outdoor Supply, at 14855 N. State St. and look elsewhere for a location for the venture.
More than an hour into the village council meeting, Garlich addressed a proposed ordinance authorizing SAH Consulting to temporarily install a sample log cabin kit in the parking lot across state North State Street from the village offices, imposing conditions and declaring an emergency.
A Week Earlier
The village planning and zoning commission discussed the framework at its April 24 meeting with Scott Hill, representing SAH Consulting. The commission asked him to move the framework, which has no foundation, to a space to the west of the store. Hill offered to put a roof on it and Garlich told him council would need to approve it because there’s no provision for the structure in the village zoning code.
Last Thursday Garlich said the proposed log-cabin sales and building business would be a valuable addition to the village and the village is willing to accommodate the venture. However, even though the commission approved the 12-by-12-foot structure with conditions, the owner of Outdoor Supply had informed the village he was not satisfied with the relocation.
“Ralph Spidalieri is not happy with the plan,” Garlich said. “Now we have a plan nobody is happy with.”
He recommended Council not pass the ordinance approving the unsatisfactory plan, but to work with Spidalieri to find another location.
“We can’t do that tonight,” Garlich said. “We’ve got to revisit this as a group.”
Framework and Red Tape
Just before council went into executive session at the end of the meeting, Spidalieri arrived at council chambers.
“I realize you are extremely busy,” he said, be he wanted to talk about the framework.
“Tomorrow it will be removed,” he said, adding that the village will lose the income from a new business coming to town. “I’m not grandstanding.”
Spidalieri said when he had a representative from Sloan’s Mills in North Carolina flown up for a meeting with the mayor, they were told the structure wouldn’t require a permit.
Garlich said he told them the red tape would be minimized because, if the structure doesn’t have a foundation, Spidalieri wouldn’t need a building permit form the county. Hill agreed to the conditions, but Spidalieri, who wasn’t at the meeting, didn’t, Garlich said.
He also said he never received a phone call from the village zoning inspector about local permits, although it was reported at the planning and zoning commission meeting that such a call was made.
“At the end of the day, its called truth and honesty,” Spidalieri said.
“Are you calling me dishonest?” Garlich loudly asked three times.
“Commissioner, if you don’t know you need a permit to erect a structure in a municipality, I’m very sorry,” said Village Counselor Tom Lee said, adding that the village is still willing to fast track the project and council was willing to have a special meeting next week to sort it out.
“You won’t need to do that because the structure will be gone tomorrow,” Spidalieri said.
The Day After
Friday morning he said in a telephone conversation with a reporter that he had been working with the company to arrange a production facility at a location in Middlefield. The owners were looking at a lease and can’t wait any longer, so they will be moving the operation to a different location, Spidalieri said.
“I just got frustrated with the process,” he said. “We were in a situation where we needed to make a determination. We couldn’t wait.”
He said he was also unhappy that Hill had to wait an hour to be told the council’s vote was on hold for a week.
“Scott had a number of people lined up,” Spidalieri said, and was checking out employees for the production of the log cabin building kits. The timber frames cost about $10,000 and having a building finished costs another $10,000, he said. But the operation may go elsewhere in the county, he said.
“I don’t want to make a business decision without the support of the village,” he said. When a third meeting became necessary, Spidalieri said he figured the village doesn’t want his business.
Garlich said Friday morning the third meeting would have been necessary to get the structure approved and he believed Spidalieri’s choice of location for it would have put it even closer to the road. Making a decision Thursday night was not an option.
“I can’t change on the fly,” Garlich said. He also said he felt Spidalieri was taking his words from the first meeting with Hill out of context and the village couldn’t let him build without permits.
Garlich said he liked the contractor and would have cooperated with Spidalieri.
“I appreciate his business here, but don’t question my integrity. I’m pro-business and I’m honest,” Garlich said.