MOUNT VERNON — Members of the city’s Municipal Planning Commission approved the development plan for Ohio Eastern Star Home’s planned neighborhood development (PND).
Approval hinges on OESH addressing the concerns voiced by residents living near the PND.
OESH submitted the plan at the commission’s June 9 meeting.
Michelle Engelbach, chief executive officer for OESH, told commission members the project involves 96 independent living units. A bank-barn style structure, ground level on one side and two stories on the other side, offers two-bedroom boomerang/apartment-style living.
The other units are condominium-type housing with three or four dwelling units per building. Some will have an attached garage and range in size from approximately 800 square feet to 1,200-square feet. Restaurant-style dining provides evening meals; during the day there will be a bistro-type setting.
All of the units are rentals.
Engelbach said the complex will include patios and walking paths with the potential for a pond with ducks and fishing.
“We are hoping for groundbreaking in early fall of this year. The entire project is about a three-year project. The phasing of it will be the boomerang building and also the dining room first,” she said.
Once partial occupancy is available in the apartment-style building, construction will start on the cottages.
The complex as proposed does not meet the required parking spaces per dwelling. City code requires two parking spaces per unit.
Shawn Boysko, OESH lead project engineer, said 135 parking spaces will be added as part of the project to complement the existing parking for the event center.
The parking ratio is 1.5 per unit; according to Boysko, that is what market conditions show are appropriate for this type of independent living facility.
Seven nearby residents supported the project but did have some concerns:
• Setbacks along New Gambier Road
• Effect the increased elevation around the cottages would have on storm water
• Size of the proposed development
• Building height
• Light pollution
• Narrowness of New Gambier Road, lack of sidewalks, deer, speeding problems
• Traffic, wildlife, and headlights from autos pulling into the cottages shining into New Gambier Road homes
• Better maintenance along New Gambier Road
• Noise from trash control
Boysko said the stormwater plan is still being developed but plans call for storm water to be detained on site. An existing dry pond on the south will be converted into a wet pond. A dry pond on the north will be maintained.
Acknowledging the steep grade, Boysko said OESH will modify the grade to accommodate proper stormwater drainage and also to make it a walkable community.
City Engineer Brian Ball said all storm water will exit the property via the pond. No water will be added to the existing culvert, otherwise the city will not approve the project. Additionally, Ball said the development will reduce the amount of storm water going into the existing culvert, which will help a nearby neighborhood’s stormwater facility.
Engelbach said OESH wants to avoid harsh LED lighting and plans to use 14-foot-high light poles to keep with the look and feel of a residential street. Walkways will have low path lighting.
Ball said multiple on-again, off-again plans have been developed to help address the Eastern Star-New Gambier Road traffic issues. The city is attempting to get two priority projects into its strategic plan, and then focus on getting funding for the Upper Gilchrist-Eastern Star corridor.
Ball said the city street department will maintain the road ditch along New Gambier Road and that appropriate foliage can be planted along the OESH northern property line to block the higher view.
Engelbach said the refuse area designated at the end of each cottage street is a small, enclosed area for residential rolling trash containers. The trash compactor truck will not collect the trash; OESH will collect the trash and take it to a designated dumpster on the campus that will be emptied once a week.
Boysko agreed with resident Kate Burley’s idea of moving the whole development further south to get it away from the northern property line. He reiterated there will be minimal residential grade lighting and that landscaping will soften the edges.
Noting traffic is always a concern with development, Boysko pointed out the development is senior living, which has a lower traffic count than single-family housing.
Two other neighbors supported the PND via email.
Lacie Blankenhorn, city development services manager, spoke with one resident who opposes the project. Concerns were dumpsters, lights shining in windows of homes on New Gambier Road, lack of adequate screening from existing pine trees, light pollution, and construction dust.
The resident also does not like the idea of apartments in the neighborhood and thinks they will attract thieves. She believes the buildings will be eyesores and that the development will lower the standard of living and property values for homes on New Gambier Road.
The planning commission does not have the authority to waive the parking space requirement. OESH must go before the Board of Zoning Appeals for a variance.
The apartment-style buildings have a height of 39 feet. City code sets the requirement at 35 feet. The planning commission does have the authority to waive that requirement and approve a variance for height.
Commission members unanimously approved the development as presented, noting the recommendation is based on the expectation OESH will remain a good neighbor and follow the intentions neighbors stated in the meeting.
The approval did not include the height or parking variances.
At their June 27 meeting, city council members gave a first reading to legislation accepting the planning commission’s recommendation.
Attorney Kim Rose of Critchfield Critchfield & Johnston, speaking on behalf of OESH, said that since residents noted their concerns at the planning commission meeting, “we have been working through those concerns.”
Engelbach told council she met again with city officials and clarified the stormwater issues.
“So, we are good to go,” she said.
In the interim, one resident who previously supported the PND told council via email that he is opposed to the plan as submitted. The basis of his objection is the close proximity of the cottages in front of 1415, 1435, and 1455 New Gambier Road where the closest cottage is less than 30 feet off of the city right-of-way.
Regulations require 30 feet; the submitted plan shows a 28-foot setback.
“Requests to review the plans to provide more space along New Gambier Road were quickly rebuffed,” he wrote.
Relating to the cottages being so close to the northern property line, Engelbach said the OESH team is looking at trying to pull three cottages a few feet to the south. She said the whole development cannot move south because of the steep grading issue.
If OESH is successful in moving the three cottages, the existing pine trees will not have to be removed.
“If (it’s not successful), we will replace whatever has to be taken out due to the construction,” she said.
Council plans to give the legislation three readings and will hold another Planning and Zoning Committee meeting at its July 12 meeting. A public hearing is scheduled at 6:45 p.m. at council’s July 26 meeting.
