The Jerome Township Trustees on Tuesday approved a development plan for the Memorial Jerome Medical Center, illustrated above. The 40,000-square-foot building will be located south of U.S. 42 between Industrial Parkway and U.S. 33.
(Graphic submitted)
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The Jerome Township Trustees approved two development plans Tuesday, though one decision was all but made before the meeting even began.
A local healthcare system’s facility will become the second medical project in the same planned development district, while the Curry Farm neighborhood was officially given the green light after a legal settlement mandated its approval.
The trustees unanimously approved a development plan for Memorial Health, which operates Memorial Hospital in Marysville, which will be constructed on a subarea of the Jerome Park planned development district.
The site, located south of U.S. 42 between Industrial Parkway and U.S. 33, will be developed with a 40,000-square-foot medical office building.
Officials at Memorial have said the building will be called the Memorial Jerome Medical Center and will provide primary care, specialty care, occupational medicine, ancillary services and an urgent care operation.
The Memorial Health project is the second development plan for a medical facility to be approved in Jerome Park. In January, the trustees approved plans that will allow for the development of an OhioHealth facility at the corner of U.S. 42 and U.S. 33.
The Memorial Jerome Medical Center will be a part of the Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) between the township and City of Marysville.
The board also voted 3-0 to approve a development plan for the Curry Farm residential development.
The approval served as more of a formality, as the developers of Curry Farm were plaintiffs in a lawsuit that was settled with a consent decree earlier this year.
Zoning Inspector/Planning Coordinator Eric Snowden said the plans submitted are “in substantial compliance” with the terms of the settlement.
The development will be located on a 50.67-acre site on the southeasterly side of U.S. 42 between Currier Road and New California Drive. It is adjacent to the neighborhoods commonly known as New California Hills and Pioneer Crossing.
Curry Farm will have 100 detached single-family dwellings and a clubhouse.
While the terms of the consent decree require the approval of the Curry Farm development plan, Adler raised concerns he has with the plan.
He said he worries the developers do not meet the requirement for evergreen landscape trees and may have too many deciduous trees instead.
Pete Griggs, legal counsel for the township, said the landscaping requirements are laid out in the consent decree. If the developers do not abide by those standards, it will result in a zoning violation and the township can enforce compliance.
However, he said, if it made Adler more comfortable, he could motion for approval with a modification that clarifies the number of trees required.
“I object,” said Laura Comek, attorney for the applicant.
She said she would not approve of any modifications to the plan already mandated by the legal settlement.
“That’s the federal consent decree for violating these people’s rights,” Comek said.
Griggs said he understood and told Adler the conversation would be reflected in the minutes and a modification would not be necessary.
Adler also noted that the consent decree requires a monetary donation of $22,500 by the developers for parks and bike path improvements, but does not specify when the donation must be made.
Griggs agreed, but said he has been in contact with legal counsel for the applicant. They indicated they will send a letter indicating they intend to make the donation upon application of the zoning certificate.
He told Adler the applicant could seek legal recourse if the application is not approved because the donation has not been made, given the settlement does not detail a timeline for it.
“I’m reluctant to continue (the hearing),” Griggs said.
Sloat said she wanted to vote on the matter that night, emphasizing “it’s already been litigated and decided.”
The trustees voted 3-0 to approve the development plan.
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A development plan for the Curry Farm residential development, depicted above, was officially approved by the Jerome Township Trustees Tuesday night. The vote Tuesday was largely a formality as a lawsuit filed by the developers was settled with a consent decree that mandated approval of the development.
(Graphic submitted)