Villa development proposed in Poland

By DENISE DICK

denise_dick@vindy.com

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poland

The same people who proposed building apartments on East McKinley Way in the village now want to construct single-family villas on the property instead.

The Clayton family submitted plans to Richard Ames, zoning administrator, to build 18 villas between East McKinley and Marion Drive.

“It still seems like too many homes,” said Suzanne Hallas of Marion. “We’d love to see homes back there, but that seems like a lot.”

The villa development would have access from both U.S. Route 224 and Edna Street.

Hallas says she is concerned about increased traffic, and she’s heard the same concerns from some of her neighbors.

Members of the Clayton family couldn’t be reached to comment.

The village planning commission has set a meeting for 7 p.m. Tuesday regarding the latest proposal.

Steve Queen, another Marion resident, also is against the project, citing the number of homes.

“It’s not big enough for 18 homes,” Queen said.

He said the plan doesn’t fit with the village.

“No one in the village would want this in their backyard,” Queen said.

Last year, Singer Homes, in which Clayton family members were involved, sought to build four six-plex apartment buildings and six carriage houses, or garages, on the property.

That plan, which required a change from single-family zoning to multifamily housing, met stiff opposition from residents of surrounding streets.

The village planning commission recommended against the zone change, and it was ultimately rejected by village council.

The commission determined that the proposed zone change didn’t conform to the village’s comprehensive plan and wasn’t compatible with the surrounding single-family neighborhood.

Last September, Singer Homes sued the village, its council and planning commission, saying the zone change should be granted.

That lawsuit is pending in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.