BELLAIRE — Two Bellaire Village Council members were appointed Thursday with Mike Doyle filling one vacant seat and Janet Richardson the other.

Council also heard from a local man who is interested in opening a business in the village.

Doyle, who previously served on council, was appointed to the post last week after he instead chose to seek election as mayor on the Nov. 2 ballot. He lost that bid to write-in candidate and now Mayor Ed Marling.

Meanwhile, Rob Vanaman of Wheeling made an appearance before council seeking clarification about the zoning of a piece of property he is interested in. The property is located in West Bellaire near Washington Street.

Doyle described the property, saying it is “across from the old school next to the pumping station.”

“We mentioned this before. We checked the zoning, and it appears the zoning out there is business or light commercial or industrial,” Doyle said. “From our preliminary studies on it, it appears the zoning will fit but we want to expound on that and then we want to confirm that before we spend any real dollars.”

Vanaman accepted that then explained he was interested in storage and industrial property, which he has in West Virginia.

“That’s where my interests are,” he said but wanted to see what exactly was available for him and what value it may be to him, as well as the capabilities of the site. “I’m definitely interested in this area.”

Richardson, though, raised the issue of whether property owners around that area would be pleased to have that kind of business around them. She specifically addressed the roadway entering the village there.

“I don’t know that those folks out there that own homes would be happy about coming into their town and seeing a bunch of storage,” she said.

She also pointed out that there already is a storage facility that is not “in front of residential areas.”

“So, I don’t know what you folks think about it but I don’t think he’d make the people in West Bellaire very happy putting up storage units …” Richardson said.

Vanaman asked how council members felt about a steel building, considering the zoning of that area calls for industrial and commercial business. He asked if it would “fit the bill for here?”

Asked about the use of a steel building, he said it would be used for manufacturing or rental.

Richardson admitted that she lives in West Bellaire and acknowledged her personal interest in the matter, which Vanaman said he understood.

Doyle then voiced concern, explaining that after the village conducted its due diligence and found that the zoning does appear to fit Vanaman’s needs. He said that should be the end of the village’s input.

“Yeah, I’d say so as long as it meets the zoning,” acting Solicitor Cole Antolak said while sitting in for Solicitor Michael Shaheen. “We can’t say what they build … as long as it meets the zoning criteria.”

Doyle expressed worries about someone like Vanaman coming in and investing money before actually knowing what can be constructed on a property before knowing the zoning code. Doyle said he would get a copy of the zoning map to Vanaman and wait for his feedback.

“If our zoning fits whatever he wants to do then we’re out,” Doyle said. “I don’t want us to get into a lawsuit.”

Doyle repeated that he wanted to clarify that the area is indeed zoned as a light commercial district.