BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      Citing concerns raised by property owners along Boardman’s main commercial corridor, Township Administrator Jason Loree is asking the Ohio Department of Transportation to reconsider some proposed changes along that stretch of roadway.
      “Several property owners along the corridor have raised serious concerns regarding access to their businesses,” Loree stated in a letter sent last week to Lauren Phillips, ODOT district planning engineer.
      “We ask that you reconsider certain proposal to address these issues,” Loree said.
      ODOT is proposing closing several turn lanes along Rt. 224, from South Ave. to Market St., as well as placing barriers in the roadway that will also limit access to businesses along Rt. 224. The proposal, Boardman Trustees have been told, could also increase traffic flows through residential neighborhoods.
      “The Applewood Commons Plaza is concerned about the removal of the traffic signal at the entrance to Dick’s Sporting Goods, which was privately funded during the area’s development.
      “Removing this signal and installing a barrier would likely result in increased traffic on Applewood Boulevard, a township road, as drivers would cut across private property to access the northern part of the plaza. Additionally, this change would prevent drivers from crossing between the Shops at Boardman Park and Applewood Commons Plaza,” Loree said in his letter to Phillis.
      The administrator noted “The property owners on the north side of US 224 between Market Street (SR7) and California Avenue are concerned that the proposed u-turns and medians may deter customers, particularly the elderly and less experienced drivers, who are less familiar with such traffic patterns, potentially leading to more accidents rather than fewer.
      “A suggested alternative is to construct a through lane on the south side of US 224, in front of the Southern Park Mall, without adding a median. This would maintain traffic flow while providing a dedicated left-turn lane for properties on the north side of US 224.”
      Loree concluded, “We hope that you will consider modifying the plans to better accommodate their needs. Our goal is to continue making Boardman A Nice Place to Call Home.”
      Among their property owners expressing concern over ODOT’s plans for Rt. 224, is Vince Fond III. His company owns the Applewood Commons property where Dick’s Sporting Goods is located.
      ODOT wants to eliminate a traffic light and the intersection that connects Applewood Commons with the Shops at Boardman Park for safety reasons.
      “Right when we were about to have the lease signed...we disclosed (ODOT’s) plans to our tenant and they immediately pulled out. So I mean as far as economic impact, it has happened already,” Fond said.