NORTH LIMA Work set to begin on Pine Lake condos

Developers say a tiered construction plan will give every home a scenic view.
THE VINDICATOR, YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO
By CYNTHIA VINARSKY
VINDICATOR BUSINESS WRITER
NORTH LIMA -- Road construction is about to begin in the Pine Lake Reserve condominium development, a once-controversial project that's been in the planning stages since it was first proposed in 1998.
Evergreen Land Development is ready to begin constructing roads and clearing lots on the 108-acre Beaver Township site, a spokeswoman said. Plans call for 335 condominiums to be built on a hillside overlooking Pine Lake off state Route 7.
The condos will be priced between $150,000 and $500,000.
Thomas Zebrasky and Alfonso Valades, partners in Evergreen Land Development, agreed to scale down the size of the development in November 2001 as part of an out-of-court settlement of a lawsuit they had filed against Beaver Township trustees.
Trustees objected to the original plans, which called for 395 units, so the developers agreed to reduce it to 335 units.
Neighbors also objected, worried about encroachment on the rural farming community, increased traffic, storm water runoff and population growth. Zebrasky issued a written statement saying those concerns had been addressed.
Further delays
Evergreen officials said after the settlement that construction would begin in the spring of 2002, but rainy weather and other factors delayed the project further.
Now, Zebrasky said, Evergreen has its financing and all required permits in place. Home Savings and Loan is financing the $90 million project, and Remax Realty of Boardman has the exclusive contract to sell homes in the development.
Lesa Rair, a spokeswoman for Evergreen and director of public relations for Van Fossan and Associates, Youngstown, said the development will feature a tiered building plan. The land slopes naturally on the west shore of Pine Lake, she said, so the tiering will allow each row of homes a scenic view.
"The views of the lake are what truly sets Pine Lake Reserve apart from other developments," Zebrasky said. "We are able to offer lakefront living in an area where this is basically unheard of."
He said the project will be one of the largest residential subdivisions in Mahoning County.
Amenities
The 475-acre lake will be stocked with a variety of fish, including perch, bluegill, bass and white bass and northern pike. Bike trails and walking trails, a marina and a clubhouse will be constructed as part of the complex.
Only small boats with motors of 10 horsepower or less will be permitted on the lake "to assure tranquillity," Rair said.
Construction will be done in four phases, she said, with the first phase to include 16 acres on the lake front. Once roads are complete, Zebrasky said, builders will erect two model condominiums. The first structures should be done within 90 days of the road completion, he said.
Evergreen bought the building site from Consumer Ohio Water Co., Rair said, which owns the lake and manages fishing and boating there.
vinarsky@vindy.com