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Residents criticize veterans home plan

Tribune Chronicle / Raymond L. Smith Thomas Ducharme, a veteran who lives on Washington Street NE, questions City Council Wednesday night about a proposed house for homeless veterans. He said he agrees with the idea but does not believe the house should be granted a zone change to become a commercial property.

WARREN — A proposed temporary housing program for veterans may not get off the ground because of complaints from Washington Street NE residents who do not want the home in their neighborhood.

Bruce Ramey, 348 Washington St. NE, told city council members during its pre-meeting caucus that he is concerned the large two-story home at 355 Washington could present a hazard to firefighters and its residents if a fire would occur.

“I am old enough to have read headlines of people being killed in fires at group homes,” Ramey said.

Thomas Ducharme, a veteran who moved on Washington Street three years ago, did not criticize the idea of the project, but said if doing it would require a zone change to commercial, then the city should require the proposed veterans home be located in a non-residential neighborhood.

The property is owned by the Trumbull County Landbank, which agreed to sell the property to Heiens & Co., for $1 as a single-family home, not as a group home for up to 10 veterans at a time as it has been announced.

Susan Greisinger, who signed the agreement with Trumbull County Landbank as president of Heiens & Co. and is the executive director of Trumbull County Take Flight, is hoping to house veterans inside the two-story home later this year.

“I decided to do this in January,” Greisinger said.

While the county landbank is allowing her to move forward with the renovation at this point, landbank coordinator Matt Martin, who also is executive director of Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, emphasized its agreement with Greisinger’s organization is for its use to be a single-family, owner-occupied home. Any other use would violate the term of the agreement.

Martin said he told Greisinger that she must obtain substantial support from people living in the neighborhood before the landbank would consider an alternative use for the property.

In addition, Martin said Heinens & Co. only has until June 15 to complete the renovation of the property. Based on a January inspection, Martin said the group is significantly behind on the work.

“The majority of the work was supposed to be completed within the first four months of the project,” Martin said. “We completed a six-month inspection of the property and virtually nothing has been done.”

The renovation cost is projected to be $35,000.

Martin said he told Greisinger to go door to door and survey the neighbors.

“I’ve seen these kinds of proposals fall under the weight of the opposition to them,” Martin said. “We believe this may be a good idea and, if necessary, we will work with the group to find a less densely populated area where a temporary housing program may be accepted.”

Greisinger said they have raised the necessary funds to complete the veterans project if it is allowed to continue.

She said a recent open house was held to gauge the level of community support for the project.

“We have been going to properties on Washington and on Vine to talk to neighbors,” she said. “We have fielded 100 calls and they have been supportive. The only two people who have spoken negatively about the project are those who spoke in front of City Council.”

Martin said if the organization does not garner the overwhelming neighborhood support the landbank requires, he would work with it to find a different location for the project.

rsmith@tribtoday.com

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