Ironton City Council Thursday evening tabled an ordinance to close one end of Washington Street after a resident in that area expressed concerns about it.

Rosetta Roberts, of South 10th Street, asked why no one in the city had notified the four residents in the area where the street is to be closed.

Roberts pointed out that closing that part of the street may hamper emergency vehicles because the portion of 10th Street in her neighborhood is one-way.

“Was anything looked at?” she asked. Roberts also said she was hurt that there are conceptual drawings showing what is being planned for that area and the drawings for development in the Ninth Street area show a large hotel that may block her view. She pointed to a 30-foot wall that once stood on the former county garage property that had previously obstructed her view.

That wall was torn down when the Old Engineers LLC purchased the former Lawrence County Group and Shelter Home and Lawrence County Garage and demolished the buildings to make way for future development.

“Has anyone approached you to buy you out? Councilman Bob Cleary asked Roberts.

Roberts said some neighbors had been approached. It was her understanding people were not being offered enough money to allow people to buy a house elsewhere to live.

Mayor Rich Blankenship said, after the meeting, that the drawing of hotels and other developments on the site is a conceptual drawing, meaning it was made to show investors what could be, not exactly what will be.

“There may not be a hotel. Or there may be one and it may face another way. We do want a hotel in Ironton but this (conceptual drawing) is a vision,” Blankenship said.

Also Thursday, council heard from Sally Ingles and Susie Bryant, both of South Seventh Street, who said they have concerns about The Fuzzy Duck restaurant at the Center Street boat landing.

They said it was their understanding the lease for the establishment had been passed from Tri-State Realty to Bridgeview, Inc., and asked if council knew about this and knew if it was true. Ingles said it was her understanding the lease could not be legally transferred without council’s prior approval.

“Don’t you have it so that you must approve it?” Bryant asked.

Ingles said she is also concerned one of the principals in Bridgeview Inc., Barry Adkins, has been convicted of federal drug charges and will soon be going to prison; she asked if the felony conviction could make the lease invalid. She also said she had heard there have been Sunday alcohol sales at The Fuzzy Duck and asked if this was in violation of a “dry zone” the city had established years ago.

“There are other people interested in that property,” she said. “We’re wanting to know how they subleased it without your approval,” Ingles said.

Ingles said after the meeting she thinks the property is a prime piece of real estate and could be used as an attraction for the city if it is properly managed.

City Solicitor Bob Anderson said there are other legal ways the property management switch could have been accomplished without a sublease or council’s approval.

The matter was submitted to the public utilities committee for further study. Blankenship said he is looking into the lease and lease holder accusations and is consulting with city solicitors about the situation with the Fuzzy Duck.

Blankenship said he has looked into the Sunday alcohol sales issue and learned today the establishment is allowed to legally to sell beer on Sunday but not liquor.

Paul Wilkes, co-owner and vice-president of Bridgeview, Inc., was contacted Friday for his comments. He said former Mayor John Elam approved the lease change and he thought that took place in 2007.

He denied Barry Adkins is, or has ever been, involved in Bridgeview Inc. He said Barry Adkins’ conviction on federal drug charges has nothing to do with Bridgeview or The Fuzzy Duck.

“His mother, Margaret Adkins, owns 50 percent and I own 50 percent,” Wilkes said.

Wilkes characterized Bryant as a disgruntled former employee.

In other matters, council gave first reading to an ordinance vacating a portion of Grape Alley. An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a lease with Ironton Little League was tabled pending further study by the public utilities commission.

Council approved resolutions allowing for the application of a Natureworks grant and a Water Pollution Control Grant to pay for the repair or replacement of home sewage treatment systems.

Blankenship said after the meeting there are 52 households in the city that are not on the municipal sewer system Some are in North Ironton beyond the floodwall and others are in the Orchard Hollow area. The application is for $124,000.

The public utilities committee will meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the above mentioned issues that were referred to it, as well as other issues.

The council committee as a whole will meet immediately following to discuss an ordinance to rezone part of a parcel of land along Liberty Avenue.

A previous meeting to discuss that issue was canceled when only two council members were able to attend.

At a joint meeting between the city council and Upper Township trustees prior to the council meeting, Mike Lutz was appointed to the Woodland Cemetery Board, replacing former council member Chuck O’Leary, who chose not to seek re-election.