By Cheryl Splain, KnoxPages.com Reporter
MOUNT VERNON — More development may be coming to the corner of Gambier Road (Ohio 229) and Eastern Star Road.
Frank Rosato, vice president of the Newark-based Southgate Corp., told the city’s Municipal Planning Commission that plans to proceed with Phase 2 of Maplewood Condominiums have been “dusted off and reviewed” to see if it is still a viable project. Phase 1, from the property’s center line eastward, was completed in 2006.
“We stepped away from the project primarily due to economic problems,” he said, citing a downturn in residential sales and lender reluctance due to the recession. “Mentally we are still committed to doing this, but we are still working on numbers to see if it makes sense.”
The expansion, which will be governed by its own homeowners association, includes 19 buildings, which Rosato said follows the blueprints submitted in 2006. One building was eliminated in favor of adding a second retention pond. The buildings will look similar to the existing condominiums but not identical and will not have basements. “The intent is to blend in,” said Rosato, adding that similar features will include a stone facade and the same front doors.
Rosato said construction might be on a 2018 timeline. Southgate representatives have not yet met with current condominium owners because so much is in the preliminary stage. He said he wanted to get the storm water and civil engineering part started while working on pricing.
“I’m not sure what I would tell them,” he said. “We are still gathering numbers. Realtors feel strongly what the pricing needs to be. We’ve not yet met with people because the initial pricing came in higher than the numbers we had. I think we were a little optimistic in cost.”
Commission member Jeff Ulery questioned why the plan does not align its entrance road with the Ohio Eastern Star Home road. Rosato said that the OESH road might have to be realigned to the north if a connector road goes in north of the condominium complex.
Bill Hogg, president of the Maplewood Condominium Association, said that the number of people attending the meeting “is an indication we have concerns.” “We kind of wondered why it got this far without us being told anything,” he said.
After meeting on Wednesday, the association board had two concerns:
*Retention pond. Several years ago, the retention pond in Phase 1 overflowed. Hogg said the concern is where the water will go if that happens again.“The new one should be picking up storm water from the site. Storm water can’t leave the site any faster post-construction than pre-construction,” said Rosato.
*Road alignment: The condominium owners prefer that the entrance to Phase 2 homes does not align with the OESH entrance. “That’s going to be a real traffic headache,” said Hogg.
City Engineer Brian Ball questioned who will maintain the roads, adding that is an issue that will definitely need to be addressed between the two homeowner associations.