Wednesday, September 29, 2004
The company can still build on the site.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- There will be no zone change granted on the Orvets Sod Farm property to allow a new development on the site.
MOS Development of Boardman sought a zone change from an agricultural to a residential district and had planned to place more than 400 homes on a section of the former farm. Company representatives said plans also called for baseball fields, soccer fields, other play areas and a walking trail.
The farm contains more than 309 acres of undeveloped land. Company representatives said homes would have been built on about 200 of those acres.
Plans for the development had previously gone before the Mahoning County Planning Commission and the township zoning commission. Both entities had approved the plans.
Trustees unanimously rejected the plans Tuesday evening, however. They said storm water and flooding issues are a major factor in the decision.
"Our concern is with water," said Trustee Elaine Mancini. "We wanted to make sure everything was in place to protect our community from more water problems."
Water issues have dominated most discussion about the proposed development.
Opposition
Tony Dascenzo of Red Tail Hawk Drive told trustees his property would be threatened by water runoff from the development because it sits at a lower level than the sod farm property. He said trustees should fix existing water problems here before allowing new ones to be created.
Susan Dicken, executive director of Mill Creek MetroParks, also spoke in opposition to the proposed development. She said trustees should remember that the farm is the last remaining large piece of undeveloped land in the township and that it should be left untouched to absorb water, as it has been doing.
Kristen Yoder of Tippecanoe Road, Canfield, said her property sits next to the sod farm and she asked trustees to install a buffer between the two properties if any development is done on the site. Yoder said she operates an organic farm and runoff water would bring pesticides and other undesirable chemicals onto her property.
MOS representatives said they plan to take measures to control water if the property is developed. They said several lakes to hold storm water had been planned for the development.
Regulations
Marilyn Kenner of the Mahoning County Engineer's office said the county will soon require developments to have measures in place to handle a 100-year storm event instead of the current 50-year storm event requirement. She said MOS agreed to meet the more stringent regulations even though it is not yet mandated to do so.
MOS representatives have said the wetlands and flood plain on the farm would be untouched in the development process.
Mancini said trustees felt that all the agreements and understandings reached between the company and various government bodies and individuals were not enough because nothing had been put in writing and trustees had no means to make the company stick to the agreements once the zone change had been granted.
Darren Crivelli, township zoning inspector, said MOS can still build on the site under the current agricultural zoning.
He said the lot sizes would have to be larger and less homes could be built.
Crivelli said the company could also choose to take the issue to court or wait six months and make another request for a zone change on the property.
Robert Struharik of MOS Development said no decision has been made as to what the company will do.
jgoodwin@vindy.com