The Stow City Board of Zoning Appeals denied four separate appeals tied to a fire-damaged structure at 4931 Friar Road, clearing the way for the city’s building department to proceed with condemnation and removal.

Staff introduced VZA 2537 and shared the chief building official’s report concluding the dwelling was a dangerous building after suffering fire damage. The report and accompanying photos were in the meeting packet. The chief building official said he had been coordinating with Barnett Management and that the management company planned removal and reconstruction; some residents have been allowed, with supervision or professional services like Servpro, to retrieve salvageable possessions. No demolition date had been set at the meeting.

Under the city’s appeal process, board members explained, denying the appeal affirms the building department’s declaration and permits the department to move forward with condemnation. The board considered each unit separately. For Unit A (BZA2025-037) a motion to approve the appeal failed on roll call; the respondents recorded 'No' votes, which effectively denied the appeal and upheld the city’s finding. The board repeated that outcome for Units B (BZA2025-038), C (BZA2025-039) and D (BZA2025-040); all four appeals were denied.

Tony Salazar, representing Barnett Management, was present and the chief building official said the management company would notify property owners about demolition timing and coordinate belongings retrieval. With the board’s denials, the city may proceed with the next steps in the enforcement and removal process.

No formal demolition schedule was announced at the meeting.