by Isabella Carwile | Apr 19, 2024 | Community, Property Development
PAULDING – The John Paulding VFW Post #587 has announced a new veterans memorial that will be established in the village. The monument will face the corner of US127 and Caroline Street and is designed to honor all veterans and branches of the military. The main monument is the centerpiece of the memorial that features three towering granite pillars and a life size bronze eagle. There will be six granite memorials honoring the service branches of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force. It will then have two additional memorials honoring Gold Star Families and Combat Wounded Veterans, along with a bronze battle cross memorial and three commercial grade flagpoles holding the flag of the United States of America, the Ohio State flag, and the Prisoner of War flag.
The memorial will be built at 220 N. Williams Street, facing northeast, so it will be viewed by passing cars going south on US127. This is the current site of the former Church of Christ and more recently Faith Alive Church building.
The Paulding VFW team has invested extensive time in sharing insight and aesthetic goals for the monument, working with Homier Monumental in Defiance, Ohio, in designing a plan that was recently revealed to the public.
VFW Post #587 Commander John Daeger stated, “Our post members wanted to give the Paulding community a memorial that would provide suitable recognition of their citizens who served in the military. The proposal, provided by Homier’s Monumental, exceeded everyone’s expectations. Upon our first review, we were awestruck. It took a while for us to fully absorb all the unique features of the veterans memorial. Once completed, the memorial will be a prominent feature of downtown Paulding and something for our future generations to respect and cherish.”
The site of the memorial was made in part by many collaborative discussions prior to the VFW team involvement. Paulding County Economic Development Director Tim Copsey shared, “The PCED office was tasked with trying to find a building for a new church organization that has grown in the Paulding village some time ago. We talked with the owner of this church building and scheduled some walk though visits. We brought in church members and then contractors to see what it would take to rehab the structure to a clean and safe environment. The deeper we looked the more we found that needed to be remediated, to the point that no one could afford the purchase and investment and still see a return on investment.”
The largest remediation issues, pointed out by two different contractors, included: roof, ceiling, HVAC, and lead paint issues, in addition to a heavy black mold presence in the basement area. It was at this point ownership was interested in working with the Paulding County Land Reutilization Corporation (Land Bank) to see what options were available.
“Once it was agreed there was not going to be an investment into the building, and the Land Bank was asked to get involved. They provided the necessary funding for the demolition and removal of the church structure. However, the Land Bank was not interested in taking on this project just to tear down a building and have another empty lot in town. The Land Bank wanted to have a purposeful and positive end use for this site. The timing of the VFW team asking about available sites in the village could not have come at a better time.” Copsey continued.
The Paulding VFW team had been working on their own for quite some time discussing different options and sizes for memorials. The catch continually seemed to be where the memorial(s) would be located. A casual inquiry from Jon Snodgrass with Copsey, and a follow up conversation by VFW committee member John Daeger led to final discussion about the pending opportunity to place the memorial on this site.
Daeger shared, “In the initial stages of our project, our post members spent hours searching Paulding for locations for the veteran’s memorial without success. Just when we were about ready to terminate the project, we were contacted by Tim Copsey who inquired if we would be interested in the church property. It only took us a couple heartbeats to respond yes, and to request additional information. Since our first meeting with the Land Bank, Paulding County Area Foundation (PCAF) and the Paulding Fraternal Order of Eagles, the VFW has been totally overwhelmed by the level of support and interest of everyone we spoke with. What started as a dream, has now turned into something that is very achievable.”
There are many incredible individuals and various entities working toward the end goal of a meaningful and beautiful memorial. Included in that is the Village of Paulding. Through initial design drawings and revisions, the village has been instrumental in discussing pieces of sidewalk development and potential upgrade of the adjoining city owned parking lot to the south of this site.
“The Village of Paulding is very excited about the new Veterans Memorial. We believe it’s a wonderful project that will honor those who have served our country worldwide, and also in remembrance of those who lost their lives fighting for our freedom.” Commented Village of Paulding Mayor Greg White.
Fundraising for the project has already begun. In yet further collaboration, the Paulding Fraternal Order of Eagles has made a significant initial donation to kick off the $250,000+ fundraising needed for the project. PCAF will be the fundraising collection point for the project. There are many achievable levels of donation including “in-kind” donations. If you would like to make a monetary donation you can send them to PCAF at 101 E. Perry Street Paulding Attn: Cardinal Park Veterans Memorial. For additional questions or involvement contact John Daeger.
by Office Manager | Mar 19, 2024 | Community, Community Improvement Corporation (CIC), PCED Office, Property Development
PAULDING – The first quarter Paulding County Zoning Inspector meeting was recently held at the OSU Extension Building. Tim Copsey, Paulding County Economic Development Director, provided a brief overview of previous meetings for new attendees and shared how this meeting has developed and grown out of the quarterly county mayor meetings. This group developed in 2023 and has continued to meet as a way to bridge communication gaps and provide idea sharing and collaboration around the county. Copsey then introduced the guest speaker, the Honorable Suzanne Rister, Municipal Court Judge, to the group of township trustees, mayors, village council officials and other local officials that attended.
Judge Rister shared the legal process involved in addressing junk or trash ordinances within villages and townships. She presented stats regarding the number of cases handled by the municipal court and shared that there is a low occurrence of zoning cases across the county. Most issues are resolved through correspondence from governing agencies. The number of zoning cases presented to the court annually were: eight in 2020, two in 2021, nineteen in 2022, eight in 2023, and none so far in 2024. Only a small fraction of cases gets to the point of jailable offenses. The cases that do mainly involve repeated violations of the same code.
Judge Rister highlighted the importance of clear communication between townships and village officials and residents, stressing the need of providing detailed documentation and current evidence in zoning violation cases.
Fines collected from convictions are returned to the charging entity. Judge Rister also addressed reimbursement policies, including attorney fees, indicating her efforts to alleviate financial burden on localities in these cases.
Incite was provided for how to increase the likelihood of favorable rulings for concerned localities. Judge Rister advised that representatives from villages or townships stand alongside prosecutors during court proceedings to be a witness to the case.
Participants asked about various procedure and process aspects, such as submitting evidence and how to handle repeat offenders. Judge Rister provided clarifications on landlord responsibilities and the criteria for jailable offenses.
Prosecutor Joe Burkard followed and elaborated on strategies for addressing property cleanup, expressing the importance of thorough information and gathering photos and time stamped evidence.
Copsey followed providing updates on community cleanup efforts, highlighting recent accomplishments, and shared ongoing projects where the Paulding County Land Bank and Community Improvement Corporations are involved.
Copsey then shared a prospective new project that may aid in cutting down zoning violations. A recent investment at Kohart’s Surplus and Salvage, now provides a way to efficiently shred and recycle vehicles. A request was made to all townships and villages to have conversations with property owners that have vehicles that do not have current plates on them. If the owners are willing to sell the vehicle there is a possibility of designing a county program to purchase these cars and remove them at no cost to the owners. In order for this program to develop we need to understand the demand and interest from residents.
Attendees discussed potential ways, including local recycling events, to facilitate resident cleanup efforts and how to identify blighted properties or open lots for future redevelopment.
Sarah McCabe, with the Paulding County Auditors office, shared that the County GIS system is updated now with zoning layers for Oakwood, Antwerp, Paulding and Crane Township. This was thanks to collaboration with the Paulding County Engineers office.
The importance of continuing to improve the county GIS system was noted. It is extremely helpful when inquires for site development come into the PCED office, especially for water and sewer infrastructure mapping. All localities were encouraged to work on mapping their utilities to better streamline planning down the road.
All in attendance agreed to meet again next quarter for continued collaboration between zoning inspectors and to discuss community revitalization efforts.
by Office Manager | Jan 5, 2024 | Business Expansion, Events, Funding, New Business, Property Development
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release January 5, 2024
JobsOhio Inclusion Grant Info Session for Local Businesses
Paulding County – Local business owners are invited to an informative session on the JobsOhio Inclusion Grant, presented by Jessica Sattler from the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP).
Date: Wednesday January 17, 2024
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Location: Paulding Eagles, 206 W Perry St, Paulding
This session will highlight grant opportunities for businesses in the specific communities of Paulding, Broughton, Cecil, and Oakwood. Qualifying businesses may access a $25,000 grant. Additionally, minority, female, disabled, or veteran-owned businesses may qualify for further funding opportunities.
To attend, RSVP to Paulding County Economic Development at office@pced.net or call 419-399-8295.
by Office Manager | Dec 19, 2023 | Community, Community Improvement Corporation (CIC), Property Development
PAULDING – The December meeting of the Paulding County Land Reutilization Committee (Land Bank) was hosted at the office of the Paulding County Commissioners.
Matt Wagner, with EPA consultant Tetra Tech, shared that the long-awaited letter of approval from the US Army Corps of Engineers has finally been received. The letter confirms that the bodies of water located on the former Stokely and Grizzley properties were man-made and are not actual designated Ohio wetlands. With this confirmation the water can be drained and the property leveled for approved future development. As the committee establishes criteria for a future excavation bidding, the current owner of the former Grizzley brake factory, Arvin Environmental Management, LLC. has committed to some property border foliage remediation and fence repair on the site.
The Paulding theatre building and adjoining Noneman building demolition will begin after the first of the year. There continues to be research in regard to an adjoining wall on the west side of the theatre with a neighboring building. Legal pieces are taking place to make sure everything is legally covered should the demolition of the wall hurt the integrity of that building. The entire project must be complete by June 2024 for the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) funding to be used. The committee and Wagner are making sure the timeline will be met.
In regard to the residential and commercial blight removal program, completed applications continue to flow in. Estee Miller, Planner with Maumee Valley Planning Organization, shared the updated list of Paulding County completed applications that have been received. The committee discussed the list and also noted the several properties that applications have been sent out but not yet received. The group understands there may be more applications this year than funds to provide remediation for all properties. The committee will begin prioritizing the list. The applications will be submitted to the state by April 1, 2024.
Miller also shared that the remaining $50,000 in funding from the first round of ODOD residential funds was approved to be used for existing projects. This allowed four more projects to be bid for remediation. These properties should see demolition work starting immediately.
Paulding County Economic Development Director, Tim Copsey updated the committee on the properties located on the Paulding County side of the Village of Scott. A good meeting with the village council provided the detailed information requested by the county health department in regard to sewer and water connections there. This should allow future new residential development on the four Paulding County Land Bank owned properties including a potential new Vantage Career Center student-built home. If all details worked out the home would not begin until the 2025-26 school year.
The committee closed out the meeting going into executive session to discuss additional properties to acquire for potential remediation. No decisions were made. The land bank will continue to accept and work with property owners looking to find relief for properties that are behind on taxes or they are struggling to maintain or keep up.
by Office Manager | Oct 20, 2023 | Business Expansion, Community, New Business, Property Development
GROVER HILL – October 20, 2023 was a historic day in Paulding County, and specifically the Village of Grover Hill, as a groundbreaking event was hosted for the construction of a new Dollar General store. It was noted that events like this are what bring positive change to communities and what people will look back on in 25 or 50 years and identify as a community building day. There are not a lot of these days noted recently in the history of the village, but Grover Hill residents have made the most of those that have. According to Paulding County historian Walter Lang, the last two commercial buildings that were developed in the village limits were the Bud Stratton Dairy Dip in 1962; and Oakwood Deposit Bank in 1978. Nearly 30 people took the time to attend here today.
This project’s realization has been years in the making, and stands as a testament to the power of collaboration. The visionary efforts and forward-thinking of the Paulding County Land Bank Committee members were instrumental in bringing this project to fruition. The Land Bank Committee consists of: Commissioner Mark Holtsberry, Paulding County Treasurer Lou Ann Wannemacher, Commissioner Mike Weible, Mike Kauser representing Paulding County Townships, Paulding Mayor Greg White representing the county villages, and Paulding County Prosecutor Joe Burkard. The land bank purchase and demolition of the existing building on the property at the time, helped kick off this this venture that commenced several years ago. It was in part due to discussions with former county commissioner Roy Klopfenstein and then Paulding County Economic Development (PCED) Director Jerry Zielke, who played pivotal roles as members of the project committee.
Rural development relies on local investment and collaborative efforts, as emphasized by current PCED Director Tim Copsey, who stated, “It takes collaboration. We wish to express our gratitude to our partners in this project including: Mayor John Moon and the Village of Grover Hill; Josh Allen with Cross Development, the PC Land Bank; and local property owners Mark and Janette Figert along with Loy and Katherine Taylor. Without all of their dedication to seeing this project to the end this would have not been possible.”
Klopfenstein, now District 82 member of the Ohio House of Representatives, and village Mayor John Moon, both spoke a few words of thanks to the attendees and the efforts of the Paulding County Economic Development office and the collaboration as well.
It was noted that this event ties right in with many other great things taking place in and around the village with the recent opening of the Grover Hill Lions Club Community Center, a functioning Lifewise program, and the upcoming site revitalizations in the old Grover Hill Depot building and blacksmith shop through the Paulding County land bank.
In the photo from left to right: Mark Holtsberry, Tim Copsey, Lou Ann Wannemacher, John Moon, Mark Figert, Loy Taylor, Roy Klopfenstein, Josh Allen.
by Office Manager | Oct 12, 2023 | Community, Funding, Property Development
Paulding County Economic Development Press Release October 10, 2023
Former Grizzley Brake property remediation discussion continues
PAULDING – The Paulding County Land Bank met for their October meeting this week.
The meeting led off with Paulding County EPA Consultant Matt Wagner, from Tetra Tech, sharing positive communication from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in regard to the man-made ponds located on the former Grizzley Brake property. There is just over 2.5 acres of the entire 37 acre property that is actually protected as “wetlands”. As long as this part of the property is left alone, the rest of the property can be remediated for future commercial use.
The property has recently changed owners as the new owners, Cummins Engine, have acquired the assets of Arvin Environmental Management, LLC. With the change of ownership, and positive communication from USACE , a meeting has taken place between Wagner, Land Bank representative Mike Kauser, and Tim Copsey with Paulding County Economic Development office. The group has developed a plan forward for Cummins investment into immediate foliage clean-up and fence repair around the overall brownfield property. Remediation inside the fence will come from state allocated funds. All parties are excited with the discussion, immediate, and future plans of the site. Also noted, with less concern, is the remediation of the old Stokely Factory site, located across the road to the west of the Grizzley site.
There are also new brownfield projects being submitted for consideration and review. A former grain mill property, currently owned by Patriot Rail in the Village of Antwerp, and the former Winkle building in Paulding, currently owned by the village. Grant applications will be submitted to fund EPA testing to determine if there are hazardous materials in either structure.
Estee Miller with Maumee Valley Planning Organization brought the group up to date in regard to the county residential blight program. Five projects have been submitted to the state to use up remaining Round 1 funds. The state recently confirmed remaining funds could still be used by each county.
Additionally, residential and commercial properties have been identified by the Land Bank for use of Round 2 funds. To date, Miller has received 5 confirmed applications from property owners around the county. Many more have been contacted by Miller & Copsey. The committee has opted to proactively reach out to additional property owners in a concerted effort to maximize the utilization of the $500,000 in county-allocated funds for blight removal.
The meeting closed out with open discussion of several new project thoughts and how the group might best use county land bank proceeds to benefit the county overall.
For more information please contact Paulding County Economic Development or Maumee Valley Planning Organization.
