Piles of junk cause concerns for neighbors of Dayton business

DAYTON — Neighbors of a Dayton business are not happy and they are accusing the owner of keeping piles of junk on his commercial property.

Charles Keydoszius’ business, Miami Valley Mowers, has been on Xenia Avenue for 28 years, but there’s a bit of a standoff now with him, his neighbors and the city of Dayton about the best way to protect his interests and make sure the piles of junk movers do not endanger anyone.

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Leslie Sheward, president of the Twin Towers Neighborhood Association, said she and other residents took their concerns to city commissioners after their first attempts to use city-sponsored mediation last month failed. They said the property, right next to Ruskin Elementary School, is an eyesore and dangerous from a potential fire standpoint.

“We are still open to mediation and it’s not like we are saying ‘This is all on you, now you’ve got to clean it up,’” Sheward said.

City officials said they sent and posted citations from the zoning department and fire inspectors have tried to contact the business owner.

News Center 7 spoke with Keydoszius and he said he attempted to reach out, but no one got back with him. He also said he would do mediation.

Keydoszius told News Center 7′s Mike Campbell that he thinks the city and the neighborhood are going about this in a heavy-handed way.

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“It is very frustrating. I feel targeted,” he said. “I am one of the only businesses left on this whole entire Xenia Avenue.”

Keydoszius said its been a rough last three years for him. He lost a brother, his mother and father fell into poor health and COVID-19 made him close his business. He claimed it put him behind the eight ball, but he doesn’t believe his three properties, or his business, are a danger.

“Yeah, there are parts I understand where they are coming from. I’m going to take care of that,” Keydoszius said.

Keydoszius told us he has a meeting scheduled with Dayton Fire Department inspectors early next week.

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