The Amherst news-times. (Amherst, Ohio), 1998-07-22

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tone to stage 'Cinderella' — Page 5 | Should mayor be full-time? — Page 8
Amherst News-Times
n, 21, killed as he flees in police chase
fciyna
ian failure to halt
iddle Ridge Road
/wcniie ended in his
a
and
death following a brief police chase
early July IS.
Eric J. O'Neal, 21, was killed after a short police chase that lasted as
little as two minutes and spanned a
distance of two miles or less, according to sergeant Dennis Seger.
Veteran patrolman Walter Gould
was on patrol near Elyria Avenue
and Middle Ridge Road about 1:12
a.m. when he saw O'Neal drive
through a stop sign at the
intersection.
O'Neal drove west on Middle
Ridge Road after running die stop
sign. Gould quickly turned around
on Autumn Drive and drove west on
Middle Ridge in an attempt to catch
up to and stop O'Neal.
"At first, he didn't realize he
(O'Neal) was accelerating away because he was in the process of accelerating himself to catch up," Se
ger explained. "When he did, he
turned on his siren and lights but really didn't have time to check his
own speed."
According to police, Gould never
did determine his pursuit speed.
About a mile or two into the
chase, the Ohio Highway Patrol reported O'Neal turned on to Rice
Road. There, he lost control of his
car and crashed into a tree after careening over a tree stump and
smashing through a fence.
The crash occurred about 500 feet
west of Quarry Road, according to
the patrol, which investigated the
accident
O'Neal, who was not wearing his
seatbelt, was thrown through an
open sun roof to the ground and suffered a fractured skull, according to
the Lorain County Coroner's Office.
He was pronounced dead at die
scene by a flight surgeon with
Cleveland's Metro Lifeflight
helicopter.
Seger said Gould, a oauolman for
about 25 years, acted properly in
pursuing O'Neal. It was the second
fatal chase the patrolman was involved in since becoming an officer.
A fleeing motorcyclist was killed
during a pursuit in the mid-80s.
"This is all very tragic and
wouldn't have happened if he
(O'Neal) had stopped when he
should have," Seger said. "The most
that could have happened was he
would have gotten a ticket for a stop
sign violation or maybe a DUI
(driving under the influence) at Aa
most He wouldn't have lost his
life."
Seger said police officers don't
relish high speed chases because
they endanger themselves and other
drivers as well as the motorist being
pursued.
"I know he (Gould)41ost sleep
over this, but he did nothing wrong
because he was just doing his job
and making what should have been
a routine traffic stop," he added.,
They've had it
with speeders;
neighbors try
sign language
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by QLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
About a half dozen Cherry
Valley Drive residents have
had it with speeders; they are
using "sign" language to get
their point across.
Several neighbors there
have been complaining to city
officials about speeding on residential streets. They've taken
action by posting signs in
their own front yards over a
two-day time period reminding motorists to slow down.
"It seemed to work. People
did drive slower," said Pam
Nielsen. "We have no sidewalks here, so we have to
walk on the street."
She and her husband.
Swen, where among the half
dozen residents who posted
their own yard signs in an
effort to get motorists to
drive at or below the 25 mile
per hour speed limit.
Some were "children at
play" signs. Others just reminded motorists to slow
down.
The Neilsens' sign was
mounted on both sides of a
sawhorse placed in their front
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The couple fey to parte*--— -
their car and van halfway up
their driveway and don't allow their children, Kathy and
Kevin, both 4, and Alek, 6.
to venture beyond a certain
point unless they are accom-
CONTMUED on paga 5
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Pam and Swen Neilsen post a warning sign tacked to a sawhorse in their front yard. With them is one of their three child
ren, Alek.
Council will give
PUDs a little more
thought before
granting approval
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by GLEN MILLER
News-Times reporter
City council will have at least six
months to decide whether it wants
to create a new zoning ordinance
that will allow for the development
of homes in a planned unit development (PUD).
Cily council's buildings and lands
committee said last week it will be
at least that long before it holds a
mandatory public hearing before deciding whether to approve or reject
the new zoning.
The new zoning will allow developers to build subdivisions of
single family homes with smaller-
than-normal lots cared for by an
management association.
The new concept ia living is
sought by retirees and people who
prefer not to spend time working on
the exteriors of their homes or in
their yards.
It's mainly being sought by Amherst developer Joe Godfrey, te
chief proponent of PUDs. Pending
council approval, Godfrey hopes to
build a PUD subdivision off North
Quarry Road near the Apple Orchard subdivision, which he also
developed.
The zoning, however, would allow developers to build PUDs
throughout the city, although it waa
Godfrey who introduced Ihe concept
to council several months ago and is
promoting the ntpHg
Mayer John Higgias said his
chief concerns about PUSH ecfio'Wi
concerns about apartmentt. He will
insist on adequate parking, green
space and density, or sufficient
space between homes.
One resident attending die meeting expressed concern about additional traffic that may pass through
Apple Orchard to Godfrey's
planned development
Because it will be mainly lived in
by retirees or couples without children, Godfrey said he expects less
traffic than if Apple Orchard were
expanded.
"But I don't have a crystal ball on
this." he added.
Based on how the zoning ordi-
nance is written by council, Godfrey
said Ihe subdivision will be governed by deed restrictions. They will
determine if recreational vrtiiclca.
boats, wng* sheds, pools and other
facilities can be placed on owners'
property.
Moreover, it will be managed by
an association of properly owners.
Nancy Brown said her biggest
concern is how Godfrey's PUD or
any others built on a* city's weat
side will affect waier pressure in the
Godfrey ha.' indicated he hopes to •
build at least 40 homea.
If wa pet that many homes oa
that property, I'm afraid wa wil
)
*$ Former city
i law director
faces prison
Former city law director Thomas
Sanborn will spend up to the next 15
years of his life in a state prison for
stealing money from former client!
Sanborn was sentenced Jury 18
by visiting judge Robert Miller
based on guilty pleas made in April
to five counts of grand theft, theft,
forgery and tampering with
evidence.
The upcoming Aug. IS wedding
of Sanborn's daughter did not dissuade Miller from delaying his imprisonment until after the event,
much to his dismay.
Both Sanborn and his attorney,
James Binge, had hoped Miller
would give him probation. Assists^
chief prosecutor Jonathan Rosen-
baum argued against it, saying San:
bom violated the trust of his client!
and needed to be severely puniahett.
Miller agreed, saying bis action^
especially those of an attorney,'
could not be tolerated.
Sanborn avoided a similar trial,
last year by turning himself into Jus-!
tice Department authorities ia-
Cleveland. He pleaded guilty to fad--
eral charges, thereby avoiding pro*
sedition by the Lorain County prosecutor's office aad subpoenas lor
bora to a dosed Akron i
scalar te
lowed by a |
1997.
tans.* Brown added.
Water pMasute is often poor because ci diftesnees in elevation, al-        p*_w te___>«j___ k%
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CONTWUfD on page t •*'•
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