NORTON: A City Council hearing over whether to allow a Wayne County charter school to open in the city drew opponents Monday night.Several residents spoke against a proposal by the Doylestown-based Academy of Learning that would change the zoning in an industrial area to allow the school to operate.“It doesn’t make sense to place a school in a building that has a business that manufactures rubber with unknown chemicals and no fire safety because the building has no hydrants and no sprinklers,” said Danny Grether, who is chairman of the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals.He called the zoning change “ridiculous” as the city has been fighting to stop so-called spot zoning.“It doesn’t make sense to have any school in an industrial area,” Grether said. “I have been in manufacturing all my life and we can’t use children as guinea pigs.”Dave Dunn, superintendent of Norton schools, also took issue with the proposal.“There is no need for a charter school in Norton,” he said. “We have held an excellent rating for the past seven years. There should be no challenges in our district.”The city’s Planning Commission opposed the measure, but City Council is required to hold a public hearing.Richard Easterling, who is on the Planning Commission, voiced strong opposition.He told council that historically schools are located in a residential district, not in a business or industrial district. He talked about traffic problems and safety concerns with a rubber manufacturer located in the same building, at 5566 Wooster Road, near state Route 21.Council has 90 days to accept or deny the recommendations of the Planning Commission.The Academy of Learning has spent much of the past year looking for a new home after its original sponsor, Liberty Local Schools near Youngstown, severed ties because of the charter school’s “dysfunctional organizational structure” and failure to maintain financial records required for a state audit. Its next sponsor, Portage County Educational Service Center, suspended the school’s sponsorship in October, citing low enrollment and unauthorized use of a facility.Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.