MARKLEVILLE — A rezoning request was approved as part of the opening stages of an expansion of local business, Mark Tool and Die Inc., located at 50 W. Main Street, Markleville.

Markleville Town Council approved the request for four parcels to be rezoned from commercial to industrial at the most recent board meeting held Monday, Feb. 10.

Fredericks Inc. of Pendleton will manage the construction of the new building that will be next to the current location.

“The more business that can be provided locally will give more opportunities for jobs for people in our community,” council President Daniel Roseberry said.

A stipulation in the rezoning request approval was that if Mark Tool and Die Inc. would be sold, that area would revert back to being zoned commercial.

Roseberry said the board was concerned if another industrial business came in to the downtown district there would be the possibility of it not being visually appealing for the area.

Mark Tool and Die owner Jeff Davis has “done a good job with the front facade of the building and it is aesthetically pleasing,” Roseberry said.

“A lot of industrial businesses don’t care that much about the looks of their building. They have been good about that.”

New building inspector

Frank Beatrice has been hired as town building inspector.

Beatrice takes over the position most recently occupied by Brad Orms, who resigned the position in December.

Orms was named the town’s building inspector last summer. He had shared a dual role previously with Doug Tupling, in a change that was made to free up Tupling, who wears many hats in the town, including being Markleville’s sewer inspector and a member of both the board of zoning appeals and plan commission.

Beatrice is a former volunteer police officer for the town and is owner and operations manager of a construction business, Old Glory Services Inc.

Next meeting

The next Markleville Town Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, in Markleville Town Hall.