NILES — City officials said they were concerned by news this week that Sparkle Market, a long time business downtown, will close next week.

Mayor Steve Mientkiewicz and members of city council at Wednesday’s meeting expressed their concerns about another vacant building in the city and also the loss of jobs for many workers.

“We had unfortunate news this week with the closing of Sparkle in downtown Niles. We feel for all the employees who work at the store and are being affected. We hope the employees will be able to find work,” Mientkiewicz said.

He said he spoke to the property owner and Sparkle corporation officials about the Niles store and their plans for the building, which will be put on the market soon.

“We will be watching this situation very closely. We have spent a lot of time working to improve the downtown area. The last thing we need is another vacant building there, so we hope there will be a turnaround in that building soon,” Mientkiewicz said.

Councilman Doug Sollitto, D-at Large, said the city’s Community Improvement Corporation can help in getting a new business at the property on North Main Street, a block north of the McKinley Memorial Library. He said the CIC focuses on economic development in the city, and is scheduled to meet at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Niles Wellness Center.

Customers could be seen Wednesday afternoon going in and out of the grocery store, but there are no signs on the store announcing its closure or a closing sale. An employee at Sparkle said she could not comment on the matter.

An employee at the corporate office said Vince Furrie, the store’s owner, had no comment.

GUARDRAIL REVISION

In other business, a guardrail issue that was vetoed last month by Mientkiewicz will go back to the public safety committee for revision.

Councilman James Sheely, D-3rd Ward, chairman of council’s safety committee, said he will have the committee review the matter.

Sheely said he learned a similar situation exists in Cleveland Heights after a person’s home has been struck numerous times by vehicles at an intersection similar to the one at Robbins and Hartzell avenues in Niles.

Sheely said signage and flashing lights did not prevent vehicles from crashing into the Cleveland Heights home. He said he will bring modifications to the ordinance to the Jan. 22 meeting for reconsideration.

Mientkiewicz vetoed the proposed legislation to install a guardrail at the intersection, citing safety evaluations and engineering guidelines as the basis for his decision.

The mayor referenced Ohio Revised Code and Niles City Council Rules of Order-Rule 42, which grants him the authority to reject council-approved legislation.

The veto, issued Dec. 27, states that Ohio Department of Transportation guidelines do not support the placement of a guardrail at the location, explaining that guardrails are typically intended to protect structures and are not designed for intersections.

A letter from the mayor to Sheely detailed that professional traffic design and engineering evaluations determined existing safety measures, such as reflective signage and a two-directional large arrow sign, are sufficient to address concerns at the T-intersection. Crash data reviewed by ODOT and the Niles Police traffic division also showed no evidence of a pattern of accidents that would necessitate a guardrail. The mayor emphasized that current accommodations meet safety standards while reducing liability risks for the city.

Mientkiewicz added that the city will continue to monitor the intersection and conduct further analysis if the frequency of accidents increases in the future.

Sollitto said the measure now returns to council, where members will consider alternative options, such as boulders or a smaller guardrail. If no viable alternative emerges, Sollitto said council could formally request the mayor to reconsider his decision.