Vermilion, Ohio, residents will have an opportunity to stop self-storage development along Liberty Avenue as one of several charter amendments up for consideration on the Nov. 2 ballot. The self-storage item was allowed to be part of a citywide vote after grassroots group Vermilion Call to Action collected enough signatures to add it to the ballot. The group wants to prevent self-storage facilities on the city’s east side, instead favoring offices or retail, according to the source.
Call to Action members believe self-storage businesses don’t employ enough workers or generate enough revenue to benefit the city, organizer Robert Green told the source. The group also believes there are enough facilities already serving the community, citing 27 locations within a 15-minute drive of the municipality.
Vermilion straddles the Erie-Lorain County line. The area along Liberty Avenue that would restrict self-storage development is mostly in Lorain County. The measure appears as Issue 5 on the Erie County ballot and as Issue 17 in Lorain County, the source reported. A majority “yes” vote is required for passage.
Mayor Jim Forthofer indicated he’s leaning toward voting against the measure, instead favoring a citywide zoning review that would address self-storage and other issues. He’s urged the city council to hire a consultant and create a commission to examine city code. Any adoption of such a review wouldn’t be concluded prior to the Nov. 2 vote, the source reported.
Residents will also vote on measures related to the appointment of members to the city’s charter review commission, the mayor’s participation in closed-door sessions of the city council, and the appointment of a city clerk to keep official records of city boards and commissions.
Source:
The Morning Journal, Vermilion Voters to Consider Charter Changes