After months of discussion, Jerome Township Trustees have voted to rezone property for the Pioneer Crossing development.
Zoning Inspector Eric Snowden said the 111.52-acre development would create 188 single family units. It would be located on the southeasterly side of U.S. 42, near Industrial Parkway.
The rezoning will designate the area as PD (Planned Development) from RU (Rural Residential District) and LR (Local Retail District).
Following several previous hearings, Snowden said Trustees gave the applicants “homework.”
Trustees asked developers to review information from partner agencies, such as the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the county engineer’s office.
Specifically, trustees asked for further information surrounding a traffic impact study (TIS).
The development initially sparked concerns among some trustees and residents because the first application had only one point of access. However, Snowden said developers added a temporary right-in right-out along U.S. 42 in response.
Tom Hart, zoning lawyer for Pulte Homes, said each regulatory agency has accepted the development’s TIS.
Beyond that, Hart said the developers are working to mitigate a variety of traffic concerns in the area.
“What we’re doing is consistent – and positive – in regard to the (county) thoroughfare plan,” he said.
Namely, Hart said the applicant plans to expand Brock Road and connect it to New California Drive with a minor collector road.
Hart explained that the developers acquired a property along Brock Road commonly called the “Blankenship Property.” The applicants originally planned to develop the property, but jurisdictional streams prevented them from doing so.
Instead, Hart said they kept the land for the purpose of road development.
Hart described the Brock Road extension as “something we’re doing that will improve the lives of the people in this area” and “something quite different we bring to the table.”
Additionally, Hart said the applicants will add a left-turn lane on Monteray Drive at U.S. 42 to mitigate issues created by previous developments.
“New growth has an opportunity to fix existing problems,” he said. “That is what we’re doing.”
Although she agreed with the potential benefit of the improvements, Trustee Megan Sloat expressed concern about the Brock Road extension since it will be done in two developments.
“We don’t know what the timeline is as far as getting that extension road built,” she said.
Snowden acknowledged her concern, but said the most important benefit is that the land needed to create the extension is secured.
“What we have to ask ourselves is: Is the land secured and available?”
Hart echoed his sentiment, adding, “If there’s not a first step, there’s no second step.”
Most residents, however, were in agreement with Sloat’s opinion.
“So far, we’re not totally comfortable with what’s being said about New California Drive,” resident Steve Murlin said.
Residents Andrew Diamond and Barry Adler said they were doubtful the Brock Road extension would be created, since developers did not commit to a timeline.
“Pulte (Homes) apparently thinks they’ve done enough. We may have to see in November if the public thinks they’ve done enough,” Diamond said, referencing the possibility of a referendum.
Resident Jeff Rymer, though, said he felt the larger benefits of the development would outweigh any inconveniences for individual property owners.
“To me, when you move to an area, you occasionally defer to the common good of the area and not yourself,” he said. “I would like to see a little more of that in our neighbors.”
Hart emphasized the benefits he said the development would bring to the community.
Ultimately, he said the applicant’s job is to mitigate its own impact but they cannot fix all the existing concerns in the township.
“Traffic’s not a reason to stop economic growth or development… if it was, there wouldn’t be any,” Hart said.
Trustees Joe Craft and C.J. Lovejoy agreed with his argument, voting in favor of rezoning for the development.
Sloat voted in opposition, citing safety concerns along with the potential for traffic issues.
“For me, without knowing if our fire department is going to be adequately funded… adding 188 new homes does not make sense to me,” she said.