LIME CITY — Expansion of the Perrysburg Township Enterprise Zone to include the entire township became one step closer to happening.

An enterprise zone is placed in a certain geographic areas for the purpose of spurring business, typically through tax modifications for businesses that move into the area.

Wade Gottschalk, executive director of the Wood County Economic Development Commission, gave a presentation to the trustees at the beginning of the meeting and prior to vote on a resolution approving the measure.

The current enterprise zone was created prior to Gottschalk’s tenure, which started 21 years ago.

“The zone does not cover the whole township. It’s left some areas out that are currently for sale and currently looking for industrial clients,” he said. “We are looking to expand that zone more broadly, to again allow for the tax abatement offers. Again, those are offers. The township has to approve it. The county has to approve it.”

This would be the fourth time the zone has been expanded, after its initial creation.

He said that it would ease bookkeeping and the abatements do not have to be offered.

“You don’t know where development is going to happen down the road,” Gottschalk said. “This is kind of getting ahead of the game, addressing potential issues ahead of a project.”

“It would be the last time we would have to do this,” Administrator Walt Celley said.

Approval by the trustees was required before the commissioners could move ahead with the expansion of the boundary.

“We would be taking away a potential speed bump,” Trustee Bob Mack said.

The trustees unanimously approved the resolution.

Also at last week’s meeting, there was a presentation on the Holiday Lane public forum, prior to a potential vote on a resolution that would a left turn restriction for Starbucks traffic stacking along U.S. 20.

Of the 27 businesses informed of the public forum, only two business owners reached out to the trustees.

Yousif Allos, owner of World of Design Kitchen and Bath and the Holiday Park Condos, attended the meeting.

“I’ve gotten, over the last three years, a lot of complaints,” Allos said. “It’s happened to me. I’ve been stuck in the street.

“Put all these together and it’s creating chaos,” Allos said.

He noted that he has seen a lot of long trucks that have been a part of the stacking, making him concerned about possible accidents for himself and his clients.

Allos said he liked the idea of a change in the lane striping, because it could cheaply alleviate the problem.

Trustee Bob Mack disagreed with the possible solution.

“I think the delineators are pushing the problem down the road, and when Biggby comes in, it will solve the problem,” Mack said. “I’m probably not a supporter of the solution.”

The new Biggby Coffee location, in the French Quarter Plaza, is expected to open soon.

Trustee Joe Schaller agreed with Mack.

The resolution failed, for lack of a second to go ahead with the vote.

Rob Armstrong of Bennett Enterprises sent an email address the stacking.

Armstrong noted that stacking had been an occasional problem, but added that he had not seen backups that he could not drive around, for at least the last 60 days.

During the height of the pandemic, cars were stacking and several businesses had commented to Britten, most notably T-Mobile representatives. During the intervening time, of approximately a year, the trustees met with both the Ohio Department of Transportation and members of the county engineer’s office.