Citizens, City Officials Discuss Ways to Make North Canton More Appealing

North Canton residents and city officials tried to figure out Tuesday night how they can clean up the city and make it a place young families and businesses would like to relocate.

They covered everything from the smaller issues (too-tall grass, trash that’s sent to the curb too early and poor paint jobs on homes) to the bigger and more-difficult-to-resolve issues (how to ensure landlords maintain their properties and how to stop single-family dwellings from becoming multi-family). They even discussed incentives to encourage residents to keep their properties well maintained.

The meeting brought together about 20 residents to discuss their concerns with the new Special Housing Review Committee of North Canton. The committee, formed late last year, is tasked with looking at the issue of foreclosed and rental homes and proposing changes to housing and zoning codes.

Many spoke about the increasing number of foreclosed homes (we've got about 50 right now) and how that opens the door for crime, such as copper thefts, and causes an eyesore because no one is maintaining the foreclosed home.

“I think the concern is once it’s known that the property’s not being looked after, it’s whatever’s in there that can be stolen or vandalized, said. "And it makes it less likely that property’s going to sell in a foreclosure sale. It’s just going to sit there.”

Fox was joined that night by Council members , , and . Law Director Hans Nilges and Eric Bowles, superintendent of permits and inspection, also attended.

Committee members said the city needs to be alerted when a property is foreclosed upon so that crimes and deterioration of the homes can be prevented.

Bowles said the city has already upped enforcement efforts in some areas; the zoning and permits departments have sent out 65 percent more letters and citations in the past year. That's now handled by the Mayor's Court.

Doug Lane, president of the , spoke Tuesday night about a committee that started six months ago and aims to bring in younger families to the city. The group is putting together marketing projects and will be ready to start getting the word out about them in the following months, Lane said.

Bill Strohmenger, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, discussed legislation from the Cleveland and Youngstown areas that he said enables the city to take over decrepit property and turn it into green space. He said that may be an option for North Canton that also would help to stabilize property values.

Resident Melanie Roll brought up some problems she said could be taken care of easily, such as residents using uniform trash receptacles and taking those receptacles off the curb after their trash is picked up. She also said sees debris in yards and porches and cars parked in yards.

The committee plans to meet soon and focus on more specific issues. No meeting date is set.