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Wellsville officials not pleased with ICC property

Although the grass appears to have been recently mowed, hedges surrounding the former Immaculate Conception Church are in need of a trim. (Review photo)

WELLSVILLE — Village officials believe the property at the former Immaculate Conception Church on Main Street has become an “eyesore”.

Mayor Nancy Murray and council discussed the matter last week, complaining about the overgrown hedges at the former church, closed since 2011 when a merger took place with congregations of St. Aloysius and St. Ann’s catholic churches in East Liverpool to form Holy Trinity Parish.

Per a decree, the Wellsville church is open to former parishioners to celebrate one mass annually, in December, for patron saint’s feast day.

Murray said she had attempted Tuesday to contact both the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown and representatives at Holy Trinity Parish, but was unable to receive a response. Council members John Morrow and Karen Dash, meanwhile, expressed disappointment with the current condition of the property.

“I know the mayor had been in contact with the church, and I kind of feel a little disrespected that the church looks that way when all that we’ve asked is for hedges to be cut and grass to be trimmed, and it’s also a little disrespectful to God,” Morrow said.

“Even though the church is only open, at this time, only for that one special mass a year, it’s still a part of the community, and to look like that, it’s really a discredit to the church as well as the community of Wellsville,” Dash said. “We’re working on it. It’s really an eyesore.”

Council member Rosie Gibson went a step further by commenting on the appearance of Holy Trinity, site of the former St. Aloysius church, which recently underwent renovations.

“The bigger disgrace is that you can travel up East Liverpool and see what they did to their church up there, and it looks like showtime,” Gibson said. “Down here, it looks like ghetto. It’s ridiculous, and it’s sitting on Main Street. It’s an eyesore. I think it’s a slap in the face to whoever went there at one time, and I think something needs to be done.”

Gibson said letters need sent to church representatives, requesting yard work take place.

“I’m sure that if that had been a resident, somebody would have been cited,” Gibson said. “No disrespect to the church, but I do feel bad.”

Per a village ordinance, properties in the village are to be maintained or a citation may be issued.

In other outdoor-related matters, Fire Chief Barry Podwel reminded council and residents that per village ordinance, burning of any type is prohibited within village limits.

Podwel said he had received multiple calls from residents regarding burning, which he explained is illegal.

“A lot of people have the brick fireplaces, pits in their yard. That’s a no-no,” Podwel said. “I’ve had people call me about the ones you get at, like, Lowe’s and Home Depot. Really I don’t have a problem with that, but like I said, the ordinance states there’s no burning in Wellsville.”

Meanwhile, village administrator Jerry Medley, in his report, apologized for comments made during the July 5 meeting regarding the backup of a sewage system that caused flooding and severe damage to the lower level of the Wellsville Carnegie Public Library on Main Street.

At that meeting, Medley said that following cleanup efforts, it was discovered the backup was caused by a large ball of grease from the sewer system at the Wellsville Elks Lodge.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have pointed my finger at the Elks as the only person that caused the grease in the sewers, but the citizens of Wellsville probably are guilty too,” Medley said. “We all dump it down the sewer now and then, and none of us should do it, so I apologize if I insulted anybody.”

Medley also reported the village will be working to patch potholes in streets, and also spoke to some residents about cleaning up their properties.

In addition, Murray reported the village has received several complaints regarding parking on village sidewalks. On Commerce Street, she said, vehicles are permitted to park with two wheels, not four, on the sidewalks. Police will start ticketing those vehicles found in violation.

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