Dear Community Friends,
On Thursday, Aug. 22, our community jumped into action to assist with the search efforts of resident, John King who went missing. For those who don’t already know, John is 20 years old and is non-verbal.
We were incredibly grateful to learn that John was located later on that same evening in a wooded area behind the 500 block of Jefferson Road. It was reported that John sustained a broken leg, however he remains in good spirits.
Thank you to our incredible community for coming together during this critical time to help bring John home safely. I say this redundantly and for good reason. We live in such a great community, and this is just another example of our greatness. The people who make up Mantua Township are the heart and soul of this wonderful place that we call home. Coming together like this is truly inspiring and heartwarming.
On Tuesday, Aug. 20 the Land Use Board approved a concept plan and use variance for a project at 455 Main St. Before things start circulating through the rumor mill, I want to provide clarity on this project as it was reported to my office.
- The land use board’s approval is for flex space/commercial retail with no warehouses, distribution centers or tractor trailers. This will specifically be stated in the approving resolution.
- The property at 455 Main St. is zoned R-40 which would require 1-acre residential lot sizes. With the confirmation and the cost to clean-up the contamination on this site for residential standards, it would be virtually impossible to build houses at this location.
- The applicant will need to come back to the land use board for site plan approval. The concept plan addresses the 25 acres of contamination while improving the overall appearance of the property.
- The land use board is requiring that the retail/commercial store fronts must be occupied before the building permits are issued for the flex space in the back of the lot.
- The land use board did a nice job with setting forth these conditions to ensure that the site will not be used for warehousing.
On Tuesday, Aug. 27 we held our monthly senior dinner at the community center.
Pizza and salads were provided by Santini’s Pizzeria to the approximate 100 guests. We have continued to set the bar high with our free senior dinners. Providing services of this kind and not raising local property taxes is yet another reason why Mantua is truly a great place to live.
As many of you already know, our disc golf course, “Tornado Crossing” opened back in October 2023. It has been reported that there have been 1,858 rounds of disc golf logged on Udisc (an application that disc golfers use to log data). It’s estimated that only about 70% of the disc golfers actually log their score on Udisc, so it’s reasonable to assume that there have been over 2,500 rounds played in less than a year at Tornado Crossing. I’d like to organize a community disc golf day in the near future to introduce, educate and promote this activity for our residents. Disc golf is a good form of exercise and another way to enjoy our beautiful Chestnut Branch Park.
It’s hard to believe that Labor Day weekend is upon us. Labor Day is the celebration of the American worker, but for many it signifies the end of summer and the start of a new school year. We are hopeful that most of you will take time to enjoy the extended weekend while relaxing with family and friends.
Upcoming Township Meetings and Events:
- Monday, September 2 is Labor Day. Municipal Offices will be closed for the holiday and services will resume on Tuesday, September 3.
- Tuesday, September 3 thru Friday, September 6 (Bulk Trash Week)
- Tuesday, September 3 at 7 p.m. is the next Board of Health Meeting
- Thursday, September 5 at 7 p.m. is the next Fire District Meeting
- Thursday, September 5 at 7 p.m. is the next Historical Commission Meeting
On behalf of Deputy Mayor Pete Scirrotto and myself, and the entire Township Committee – we look forward to continuing our service with honesty, integrity and trustful leadership!
Respectfully,
Mayor Robert T. Zimmerman, MAS
