Poland trustees vote against zoning change

By Ashley Luthern | February 10, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

POLAND

Township trustees voted Tuesday against a zoning change that would have allowed an apartment complex on U.S. Route 224.

Property owner Fred Rubino wanted a change in zoning for the vacant lot at 2546 Center Road (Route 224) from single-family to multifamily dwelling, which would allow a four-plex apartment to be built. The lot is across from Marion Drive.

Township Trustees Annette DiVito and Robert J. Lidle voted against the change. Trustee Mark Naples was not at the meeting.

“It’s still an apartment stuck sideways in between two residential homes. If we do that, then anyone with an empty lot can say ‘I want to put a four-plex there.’ We set precedent for something that is not good,” DiVito said.

Rubino’s son-in-law Dominic Marchionda, a local developer, represented Rubino who was in Florida. Marchionda said that Rubino had no interest from buyers in the 10 years of owning the land, except when he considered building apartments.

“We would work with the zoning department and the immediate community to make sure that he does complement it aesthetically,” Marchionda said.

The trustees went against the advice of the zoning committee which voted 3-2 to recommend the zoning change. Committee member Joan Madej was one of the two who voted against.

“There will be a domino effect and it will transform that corridor. We get enough complaints that we allow too much compared to [Poland] village. This is spot zoning,” Madej said.

Several residents voiced concern about the project and were pleased that the zoning change was not accepted.

“Safety is the issue. There’s Holy Family [school] and Poland Union [school], and with any increased traffic, whether it’s four or eight cars, you’re looking at more accidents,” said Teresa Kopp, who lives near the lot on Center Road.

Her husband, Donald Kopp, added that the look of the street would change completely.

The apartment complex would be “a wedge down the middle of the block. It’s going to be jammed in there, and it will look it,” Donald said.