Campbell officials: Zoning change is not necessary

By Jeanne Starmack

starmack@vindy.com

CAMPBELL

A plan for a strip mall on 7.5 acres drew a handful of concerned neighbors Monday to a public hearing on a zone change for the property.

But the developer who requested the change wasn’t there, and it wasn’t clear why he made the request when he could build a strip plaza on the property under the zoning that’s already in place there.

Pete Ross, Campbell’s zoning inspector, said after the hearing that Michael Kerpelis of Kerpelis Investments could build a strip plaza under the C-1 zoning for the property at Sycamore Drive and U.S. Route 422.

Ross said the C-3 zoning Kerpelis requested is more for development on main roads and in suburbs than C-1, which is more for use in older neighborhoods. The C-3 zoning addresses buffer zones and screening from neighboring properties, and is more restrictive on heights of signs and buildings.

A building under C-3 can be no higher than 35 feet, while buildings under C-1 can be 60 feet, Ross said.

City council passed an ordinance in 2003 that changed the property’s zoning from residential to C-1. The property still is listed as residential with the Mahoning County auditor because there aren’t any buildings there yet.

Neighbors who attended the hearing seemed upset mostly about not knowing exactly what Kerpelis plans for the property. They questioned how the council could grant a zone change without having seen a building plan.

“You should have an architectural drawing in your hands before even this meeting,” said Joe Simari of Sycamore Drive. “I’m against the zone change. Anything that comes up there will devalue our property.”

Tom Cebula, also of Sycamore, said he is concerned about whether the sewers and the traffic patterns can accommodate the development.

“I’m not against the zone change,” he said. “But I would like to see the plans.”

The hearing adjourned with no decision.

Council President Pro-tem Michael Tsikouris, who presided over the hearing, said the council would discuss what was said and would try to get Kerpelis to bring in drawings.

Ross told The Vindicator after the hearing that zoning is about land use, and it doesn’t mean the developer can start building. He would have to have approved building plans.

“To make everybody happy, he could bring in a plan,” Ross said.