Residents seeking solution to odor
By Jeff Gallatin
North Olmsted
Published June 14, 2006

An obnoxious smell  has nearby residents and city officials curling their noses in disgust and looking for a way to stop the stink. The odor apparently emanates from the Suburban Collision Center painting booth near Brookpark Extension.

About 20 residents living near the business, which went through a hard fight last year to get the painting booth narrowly approved by City Council, came to the June 6 meeting to express their frustration about the smell. However, Suburban owner Angelo Papotto said when contacted after the meeting that he has worked at preventing the smell and will continue efforts to work on any problems.

Melissa Meredith, one of the residents who spoke out against letting the painting booth be moved into the business from another Suburban Collision site last year, said residents’ primary concern is getting the problem fixed.

“We need to get the smell taken care of,” said Meredith, a Williamstown Drive resident. “It’s something which is affecting the neighborhood and making it hard for people to come out in their yards or children to play outside because it’s so bad.”

Papotto said he has met with residents of the area about the problem and has taken steps to deal with any smell.

“I’ve gone to some of the residents’ homes and talked with them about it,” Papotto said. “It was a long process of several months just to get through the different city boards and then get the city to approve it and we agreed to run tests, which we have, and we haven’t found those problems.”

Residents presented council members with a log several of them have kept since April 11 of times when the smell was present. The log notes the time of day, strength of the odor, comments about actions as well as weather conditions.

Meredith said when she met with Papotto he had assured her that he would continue to work with residents and that they should call him whenever there was a problem. She said he did not called back when residents tried to contact him about an all-day smell May 30, which she termed “the worst day of it.”

Papotto said he has tried to communicate with residents.

“I have gone out and met with people about it and called people back about this,” he said. “I’ve also followed through and had extra filters installed as I told people I would.” Papotto said.

Meredith said the residents aren’t interested in blaming council for approving the painting booth last year. Council approved it 4-3, with Council President Kevin Kennedy breaking a 3-3 deadlock that occurred after Ron Tallon was absent.

“We just want to see this fixed and have the city take action on it if necessary to get it dealt with,” Meredith said. “We think the business wants any problem dealt with as well they’re just not dealing with it as quickly as some residents would like.”

Councilman-at-large Michael Gareau Jr., who was on a long-scheduled family vacation, said he’s visited the site several times when called by residents and on his own.

“There’s no question there is a problem with some kind of smell there,” Gareau said. “I’m angry and I’m upset by this because I voted for it last year based on the fact that they said there would not be a problem with a smell, and clearly that’s not been the case.”

Gareau is sponsoring legislation which would control noise and odors coming from vehicle repair establishments located near residential neighborhoods. Council sent it to the safety committee for discussion after it was introduced on first reading.

In noting that the proposal would require the business doors be shut when there is a problem, Gareau said Suburban officials need to deal with problem.

“They can fix the situation or they can start paying for it,” Gareau said.

 Papotto said the workers do close doors when they think there could be a problem.

Mayor Thomas O’Grady said the city’s not going to let any problem continue.

“Clearly something has not been working out over there because there has been a smell,” O’Grady said. “This administration is already taking action to correct the situation, and we’ll do what we need to do to get this corrected. We have had inspectors over there and we will take it up with other agencies and groups if new need to.”

Paul Miller, chairman of council’s environmental control committee, said there’s no simple solution.

“It’s going to have to come from several areas,” Miller said. “Michael’s (legislation) is a good start, but there’s more to it than just having a problem because the door’s open sometimes. We also have to look at additional testing at other times than the one required test and maybe working with other groups.”

Papotto said he hadn’t been aware of the residents attending the council meeting and would discuss the matter again with city officials and residents.

Meredith said the issue can be resolved.

“I know the city administration is working on it, and we like the approach the city officials have taken to this,” she said.