A proposed condominium community on Scott Farms will need to wait at least another two weeks for a final decision from council.
The Redwood Apartment neighborhood is a nearly 26-acre, 143-unit complex proposed for the south east corner of the Scott Farm Boulevard and Route 4 intersection. Officials have said they will be marketed to seniors, empty nesters and young professionals.
Each of the single-story units are set to have two car garages.
The land is currently being farmed. It is zoned B-1 as a service business district. Tuesday council held a final reading on whether to rezone the property as a Planned Unit Development, clearing the way for the apartment complex to move forward.
Moments before the meeting, it was discovered that an adjoining property owner had a piece of property that was landlocked. Property owners, developers and city officials had varying understandings of whether the property has an easement to it or not.
Eventually it was determined the property does not have an easement. Frank Miller, with Ohio Grain Company, said he would provide an easement. Additionally, the land owners and developers said a roadway could be extended to the property.
City Law Director Tim Aslaner said that would be a change to the plan as presented by the Planning Commission. He said the change would need approval from six of the seven council members to pass.
Officials offered the option of creating a private driveway to the property. Aslaner said that would not be a significant change and would not need the super majority of council to pass.
The landlocked property owner assured council there would be no problems with the development or access. He said for years his only access has been by foot.
After a lengthy discussion among the parties, it was decided Miller would buy the property and either include it in the sale to the developer or hold onto it.
Council member Alan Seymour said that should clear the issues, but asked the matter be tabled for two weeks until a contract is signed or the property is sold.
“I appreciate the ideas of handshakes, but we have been down that road before,” Seymour said.
Council member Nevin Taylor asked if two weeks would damage the deal and if that would be enough time. Property owners and Redwood said that should be enough time to resolve the matter.
The delay also gives council time to review documents provided by citizen Becky Mash, of Hillview Road. Mash has repeatedly asked to see the environmental study on the land. Officials said they have one, but it is not a public record. At Tuesday night’s meeting, Mash presented documentation from a 2014 Board of Revisions hearing. Miller was asking for a reduction in the valuation of the property. Minutes from the meeting indicate Miller or a representative said the site is a former production facility and a building foundation would need to be removed before it could be used. Additionally, according to the minutes, the site, “needs a Phase II study.”
“I am scratching my head,” Mash said. “In 2018 when they’re wanting to do this development, we’re believing the site is clean. But just four years earlier the property owner is asking for a property tax reduction, stating one of the reasons is environmental conditions exist there. So which do we believe?”
Following the meeting, Miller said he had no recollection of that conversation with the board of revisions. He said his appraiser did most of the talking, though one of the board members could also have suggested the need for a Phase II study. Additionally, Miller said the site had a Phase II environmental study done in 2002 “for other reasons.” He said that study came back clean.
Council President and Mayor J.R. Rausch said the developer would have needed a Phase I study to get project financing. Mash explained that companies can purchase environmental insurance to avoid the study process.
Redwood officials said they did perform a Phase I environmental study. The developer sent that study to city officials this morning. City Engineer Jeremy Hoyt said he looked “briefly” and there were no obvious issues, but he has “not had a chance to fully digest it.”
The report, completed by Civil and Environmental Consultants Inc. in October, did note several historic contaminations, but said those concerns had be remediated.
Aslaner said that in the past the city has not required an environmental study be done before projects are approved. Rausch said that could be changing. He said it should be done already, the only difference is that by presenting it to the city as part of the project, that report would become a public document.
Council officials said that when the matter comes back on June 10, they will allow public comment on the environmental report.
Hoyt did say that all of the traffic impact issues and financing for the roadway improvements have been addressed.