Plans are moving forward for a senior living community in Plain City.
At a meeting earlier this week, council held a public hearing on rezoning for The Hamlet on Darby, a proposed 53-unit senior housing community.
A lone resident spoke at the meeting saying that his property was near the project. He said he is alright with the development, “as long as it passes all your legal stuff.”
“I’d like to keep a cornfield in my backyard, but I know there is a lot worse things that could go there,” the resident said.
The Hamlet on Darby will share an entrance on Fairfield Drive with the Madison Square apartments on South Chillicothe Street. The homes are expected to sit on a 9.3 acres parcel north of Villa Drive and south of Fairfield Drive and would wrap around the south and east sides of the Madison Square Apartments. The project would border the Big Darby Creek.
The homes will be leased at market rate and at least 70 percent will have a resident 55 or older. Developers were clear it would not be an assisted living or extended care community. The developer has said the homes will look alike and offer a neighborhood feel.
Dwight McCabe, Plain City resident, architect and Principal at The McCabe Companies, said this is the kind of project that will “bring Plain City together and move it forward. He said he is proud to be part of the project. He said the developers have been working for months to get the rezoning approved.
“We will tough it out and stay at it as long as it takes,” McCabe said.
Council member John Rucker asked about how the developer would change the Darby. McCabe said an engineer looked at the property and flooding would be insignificant meaning the creek would not need diverted.
“This is creating a circumstance where the river is going to do what the river is going to do,” McCabe said.
Following the hearing, council voted unanimously to grant the rezoning from agricultural to planned residential development.
In other news:
– Council had the opportunity to watch a demonstration using a recently purchased K-9 suit. The Marysville Elks Lodge recently donated $1,300 to the Plain City Police Department to purchase the suit.
Police Chief Dale McKee said he was contacted by representatives from the Elks Lodge asking if they could help purchase a piece of equipment for the village. McKee told the representatives he could use a K-9 bite training suit, but they cost more than the Elks Lodge had offered. He said it is important to get a quality bite suit.
“The Elks went further and with their own money, bought the suit,” McKee said.
Kermit Morse III, community service chairman for the Marysviile Elks Lodge, said the money came from a Community Service Grant as well as from the lodge’s charitable fund. He said the purpose of the community service grants is to help municipalities, police departments, fire departments and other agencies purchase equipment they, “would not otherwise be able to purchase, thus allowing them to do their jobs better.”
He said that to date, the Marysville Elks Lodge has donated nearly $7,000 to Union County agencies.
– William Pizzino, of Pizzino Engineering addressed council about comments made earlier this month. He said he is the engineer that inspected the building at 132 N. Chillicothe St.
“I determined the building was unsafe,” Pizzino said.
Earlier this month, Eric Medici, who serves as the president of the village’s design review board, addressed council about the building. Medici said he feels the building needs. He said Pizzino works for the building owner and would say whatever the owner told him to say.
“This hurts my professional reputation,” Pizzino said, asking why a representative of a village board would talk about an engineer like that.
Pizzino said in his opinion restoring the building would cost more than three times what it would cost to demolish the building and begin again.
“The owner makes the decision what happens with that building,” Pizzino said. “I just tell them what their options are.”
Rucker asked if demolishing the building could damage another building with a shared wall. Pizzino said that was included in his report to the building owner.
– Fiscal officer Renee Sonnett said member Mark Bennett had resigned from the village Capital Improvement Committee. She said the committee is looking for another resident member.
– Interim Village Administrator Nathan Cahill said staff is working toward a series of improvements to the park, campground and pool. He said the village will issue a request for proposals, likely in the next 60 days, looking for a park master plan. He said the proposals will “help council decide how to make some or no plans on how to move forward with the parks comprehensive plan.”
– Council member Darren Lane reported that the planning and zoning commission has tabled a request to rezone11.65 acres.
Earlier this year, Champion Companies requested the property on Jefferson Avenue and Perry Pike be rezoned from business to multi-family residence. The project would wrap around the Shell gas station on the corner.
The developer has proposed a 112-unit apartment complex, to be marketed to young professionals.
The developer said the initial hope is to rent the apartment for about $1,200 per month, but stressed that market conditions will determine the pricing.
The rendering submitted by the developer also includes a convenience store and gas station to be located on Jefferson Avenue.
At the recent planning and zoning commission meeting, members heard heated opposition to the project. Many of those opponents do not want apartments in the village, specifically near their homes. Additionally, opponents have expressed concern about traffic increases caused by the residents and landscape buffering.
Designers said they intend to surround the property with spruce and pine trees on three sides. The Shell station and U.S. 42 will border the fourth side, the eastern side.
They said the apartment complex would create less traffic than many already permitted business uses would.
At the Plain City Planning and Zoning Committee meeting, members asked Champion to speak directly with neighbors to address concerns. The issues will be addressed and voted on by board members in August.