FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP- The Board of Zoning Appeals will reconvene Wednesday night to renegotiate the conditions attached to a recent conditional use permit.

The board will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Administration Building to discuss the financial conditions of the permit issued to Almamet GmbH, who will be building a magnesium granule production plant on the site of the old Kaiser Refractories off of state Route 344 just west of Columbiana city limits.

On April 6 the board approved the permit 3 to 2, on the conditions that the company assume all costs for the specialized training for all three fire departments contracted to provide fire protection to the township, as well as any extraordinary costs for fire protection, and that it will not enter into the scrap/recycling segment of the magnesium industry.

According to Myron Wehr, board chairman, the conditions were drawn up hastily by the board and, after speaking with trustee Chairman Bob Hum, who is himself an attorney, he decided it best to have the township's attorney write the conditions and have them approved.

In addition to the original conditions, the township will also request that the company agree not to annex into Columbiana, as well as discuss the road costs incurred by the township by the increase in tractor trailer traffic, Wehr said.

The hearing is not one to discuss the approval of the permit, only the conditions of it, Wehr stressed.

The board and township residents have expressed concern about how the hazardous materials produced by the company will affect the township's fire protection costs, which will reportedly increase due to insurance purposes.

Currently the township contracts with the Columbiana, Leetonia and New Waterford fire departments for fire protection.

Kevin Howell can be reached at khowell@salemnews.net

Sourced from www.salemnews.net