Resident presses trustees to act on years-long dumping at 8820 Cincinnati Road

A Westchester Township property owner urged the board of trustees on March 25 to take stronger action to remove large amounts of dumped construction debris, appliances and tires from 8820 Cincinnati Road in Old Westchester.

Chris Bolte, who said he owns property at 8836 San Diego Road, told trustees the pile of material next to 8820 Cincinnati Road has grown "over 30 feet" and includes shingles, refrigerators, hot-water heaters, tires and containers with chemicals. "When this catches on fire, it's going to be a danger to anyone around," Bolte said. He said he previously reported the site to township staff, an inspector and to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and hired an attorney after he saw no steady cleanup.

The trustees and staff described prior enforcement steps and legal limits. Trustee comments noted a prior court process that was dismissed, meaning township action must begin again from the start. Township officials said inspectors will monitor the property on a two‑week cycle and will "accelerate" enforcement as soon as staff identify an action they can take under state law.

Why this matters: Neighbors who testified the site is unstable and contains potentially flammable and toxic material said the accumulation harms surrounding homeowners and undermines recent neighborhood cleanup efforts near the former EPA Superfund site. Bolte said the dumping has persisted for more than four years and that some material was removed once but much of the heavier debris remains.

What was said and by whom: Bolte recounted contacting the township and an inspector, saying "I followed all the rules to a tee" and that the inspector called the situation the "worst I've ever seen a residential property dumped on." Bolte said the Ohio EPA issued a citation and that previous paperwork showed about eight tons of waste taken to a private hauler, but he told trustees the larger structural debris was not removed and the problem resumed.

Trustee response and next steps: Trustees and staff described the constraints of operating "within the confines of the ORC," noting that a judge's dismissal of the earlier case required restarting negotiations and enforcement. Township staff said inspectors will visit the site every two weeks and will take any legally available enforcement action promptly. Trustee Becker asked staff to send trustees any new evidence or enforcement language the zoning commission provided in its recent work on a zoning resolution.

Context and background: Trustees referenced earlier action in which the township and Ohio EPA were both involved; Bolte said township staff previously referred the site to the EPA. Trustees said the township does not have authority to act beyond what state statute allows and that certain remedies require restarting processes after a court dismissal.

What remains unresolved: Bolte asked the board to pursue a timely cleanup; trustees said they will monitor inspections and act when evidence supports formal enforcement. No new enforcement order or fine was announced during the meeting.

Ending: Trustees closed the public-comment segment after Bolte spoke and moved on to scheduled presentations and business items.