Zoning Committee Recommends Change For Ohio River Bread Company

The Wellsville Zoning Committee met this past Tuesday to consider a zoning change for the proposed Ohio River Bread Co. Present at the meeting was Committee Chairman Jack Call, members Gene Beadnell & Jack Cataldo and Zoning Administrator Rick Williams. Stating that with no notification they would not be attending, Call made a motion to not excuse Mayor Joe Surace and Council Liaison John McMahon. Both are voting members of the Committee and this is the third time they have failed to attend meetings according to Call.

Property owner LSW was represented by Doug & Bob Logan, Debbie Lemley and Attorney Joe King. LSW acquired the building from the Wellsville School District and earlier this year was granted a zoning variance to use it as office space.

The purpose of the meeting was to consider a Zoning Change for the old MacDonald School property from residential to light industrial use. LSW requested the change in order to finalize a lease with the bread company. Attorney King added that the bread company owners need the zoning change and lease to proceed with pending bank loan applications and to apply for some form of public financing.

King also presented a Business Plan to the Committee that was provided by bread company officials. The proposed company is a new wholesale venture designed to provide fresh baked products and flash frozen dough to their customers. Their product will consist mainly of bread, rolls and pizza shells for retailers and restaurants. Initial plans call for retrofitting the old gym that will use 6,200 Sq. Ft. Once in operation they hope to expand that to 24,000 Sq. Ft. by the third year, which will use up most of the remaining space. The new company owners expect to be showing a profit by the third month after starting up.

The new bread company is being classified as a minority owned corporation with Wellsville resident Candy Bangor being the major stock holder. Bangor will also be in charge of sales and public relations for the new venture. Other investors are Save-A-Lot owner Henry Nemenz and Durham, NC businessman John Lauva. Lauva is a former Wellsville resident. Ron Runion will be the Head Baker and will be in charge of the daily operations. Runion is currently in the baking department of the Struthers IGA, another Nemenz grocery store. Initially it is planned to employ 22 people with hopes to add another 10 within 90 days. If the market demands meet expectations another sales person will also be added to the staff in that 90 day time frame.

The Zoning Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the change to light industrial be approved. The final approval has to be given by Wellsville Village Council after going through the process prescribed by Village Zoning ordinances and Ohio Revised Code. Committee member Jack Cataldo delivered a formal letter from the Committee to Council at their Tuesday evening meeting.

Council has to next act on the change , but first has to send certified letters to adjoining property owners notifying them 20 days in advance of a public hearing on the recommended change. The public hearing will give anyone the chance to voice their opinions on the proposed bread company. After the public hearing, Council will have to vote on the change and order that the existing ordinance be modified if approved. Barring any hold-ups by Council it is expected to take up to six weeks for the recommended change to be finalized.

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