ASHLAND — There’s a new twist in an ongoing showdown between the Burger King on Claremont and Ashland University, and Ashland residents want it their way.
The dispute between the business and the school stems from AU’s desire to vacate Jefferson Street.
City council voted unanimously to vacate Jefferson Street at its March 18 meeting. It sided with Ashland University, which asked for the closure for two reasons: a time-sensitive parking lot project, and for student safety.
Members of council sided with AU over the protests of the Burger King on Claremont Avenue. The manager of the establishment and lawyers representing it argued it would harm the business to close the street.
Jefferson Street serves as an often-used cut-through from Broad Street to Claremont.
Things looked to be said and done after council’s vote — but it appears the fight might not be over yet.
A petition is circulating calling for the ordinance’s repeal, or for the matter to be placed on the November 4, 2025, ballot.
The Ashland County Democratic Party’s Facebook page first shared information about the petition on Friday.
“This is very important,” the post stated. “AU owns enough of Ashland. Let’s help Burger King keep all the access points in and out of their business open and available to the public as well as all of the citizens of Ashland who may use that street.”
According to the post, the Democratic Party is circulating the petition in collaboration with Joseph Kearns, a local attorney who spoke to city council on behalf of the Burger King. He represents the property owner.
The Facebook post states the petition is looking to gather at least 300 signatures by Tuesday. Kearns said they really have until Thursday to do so, because per the city charter, they must file the petition within 30 days of the ordinance’s passage.
Heather Sample, the Democratic party chair, said she estimated the petition had gathered 75 signatures as of 5 p.m. Sunday.
The petition
Kearns said the idea to create a petition came from the livestream of the last city council meeting. Somebody left a comment suggesting the Jefferson Street matter be left to voters. That inspired the petition.
Mindy Sheriff, the manager of Burger King, has the petition at the restaurant until 3 p.m. on Monday for those interested in signing. The Democratic party’s Facebook post also said registered voters could call, text or Facebook message them for more information. Kearns said voters can also stop by his office to sign.
Sheriff said information about the petition is mainly spreading through Facebook and word-of-mouth.
She thinks the vote to vacate the street should be left to the city rather than to city council. Sheriff worries council doesn’t understand how much business the Burger King would lose by closing the road.
Richard Wolfe, the city law director, said if the petition collects enough signatures, it will be turned in to the clerk of council. Then, the Board of Elections will have to certify the signatures.
Once the signatures are certified, city council will either vote to repeal the ordinance. Or, if they don’t vote to repeal it, the matter will go to the electors for a vote.
That process is also laid out in Ashland’s city charter.
Responses
Ashland Source reached out to city council president Steve Workman and Ward 2 councilman Jason Chio for comment. Burger King falls within Chio’s ward.
Workman said he assumes city council will hear more about the petition at its upcoming meetings. City council’s next meeting is April 15 at 7 p.m. Chio said he did not have comment on the petition “at this time.”
Ashland Source also left a voicemail with Rick Ewing, AU’s vice president of operations and planning. He was also not available for comment by the time of publication.
