“You jumped into the hot seat real quick,” Marysville City Manager Terry Emery told city council’s three new members after Monday night’s meeting, the first for the three newly elected members.
As part of the meeting, the body approved the rezoning and annexation for the first phase of Marysville East Section 1, tabled the rezoning for Marysville East Section 2, gave final approval for a development agreement that will provide for development in the area around the city’s former water treatment plant, the Heritage silo site and several other commercial properties.
In a 5-2 vote, with new council members Steven Wolfe and Zachary Bordner against, council approved the annexation of 351 acres north of U.S. 33 on both sides of Watkins Road, between The Crossing at Watkins Glen Condominiums and Wildwood Lane.
Moments later council approved rezoning the land to a Planned Unit Development (PUD), which creates its own specific zoning text for the development. The rezoning passed in a 4-3 vote with Wolfe, Bordner and Donald Boerger voting in opposition.
The land will serve as the first phase of the Marysville East master planned community. The approved first phase will include 36.35 acres for several hundred multi-family units, 14.17 acres for about 55 single-family homes and a 251.3-acre innovation district.
While the annexation passed with no council comment, the rezoning garnered discussion among the members.
New council member Scott Hunter said he was on planning commission when the Marysville East project first came forward. He said at the time he expressed “some concerns that I had.”
He said he wonders about the placement of the multi-family homes, whether they would require a sound barrier and who would pay for it. He also questioned the connectivity of the multi-family section.
“I have concerns, generally, with the walkability,” Hunter said. He asked if the developer would consider making changes to the driveways and some other concepts in the development.
Bart Barok, with Rockford Development Investments (RDI), said the multi-family homes were designed to serve as a buffer between the Watkins Glen condominiums and the innovation district. He also said a sound barrier would be paid for by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Hunter also asked if the Marysville East Section 2 annexation and rezoning could be put on the same timeline.
Barok said the company has “contractual obligations” that make combining the two impractical.
Bordner asked about the developer’s financial agreement with the school district.
Barok said the agreement is not finalized but the development’s community authority will provide “a massive amount of funding” for the school district as well as for the police and fire department and other public entities. The authority provides a mechanism to place an additional property tax on residential and commercial properties in the development with revenue going to the public improvements and agencies. He called the community authority “the biggest game changer on the east side.”
Earlier in the meeting, council heard the first reading of an annexation request of 254 acres for Marysville East Phase 2, which will be solely an expansion of the development’s innovation district that serves as the majority of Phase 1 as well.
When it came time for council to hear legislation to rezone the land, developers asked the body to table it. Development officials said they had been meeting with residents of Buxton Meadows and wanted an opportunity to continue discussions.
“We would prefer to take into consideration the additional comments of the neighbors,” said development attorney Aaron Underhill.
Council unanimously agreed to table the discussion until the Jan. 22 meeting.
In addition to making decisions about the Marysville East development, council also approved a development agreement with Connect Real Estate LLC. Council approved the agreement 5-2 with Bordner and Hunter voting against it.
Connect has said it plans to build a $100-millon development, titled “The Silos at Marysville,” on the 16.6 acres. The development is set to include 250-300 apartments, corporate housing entertainment sites, a co-working area, a fitness center, public parking, a community arts area, a restaurant and bar and what the developer terms as “high end hospitality.”
Hunter said the Connect project aligns with the city’s comprehensive plan and he has been impressed with other Connect projects, calling the company “a top-notch developer.”
He said the plan offered a “rare opportunity.”
Even so, he said he wonders if the city could wait for a better project.
“I don’t think either way we could go wrong,” Hunter said.
Bordner asked if the developers had additional discussions with the school board. Bob Lamb, with Connect, said there had been discussions and the incentive package to the school would likely be presented in February.
Wolfe asked if the developer would consider changing uses if things in the city’s Uptown change, specifically mentioning a train station.
Lamb said the developer could consider changes, but he is confident in the current plan.
Emery said the agreement allows the developer to pursue options, but is not a final development plan. He reminded council that any actual development would still need to go through the normal development process.