CENTERBURG — Residents packed Centerburg Town Hall on Monday night to voice their opposition to an annexation that could lead to potentially 300-plus new homes.
In the council’s legislative session, a motion to waive the required three readings accepting the annexation died for lack of a second. Council members gave the legislation its first reading.
The village approved an agreement in September 2025 to annex 85.4 acres on Johnsville Road under an Expedited Type 2 annexation request. Under an Expedited Type 2 annexation, the municipality and township(s) affected can only object based on statutory grounds.
Thistlegate 16 LLC owns the land. Thistlegate representative Linda Hondros plans to partner with Arbor Homes to build single-family homes, roughly four houses per acre.
At the November council meeting, Bob and Mary Guthrie, along with Ronald and LouAnn Ricker, cited concerns about traffic, housing density, and product quality stemming from the proposed development.
Other residents echoed those concerns on Monday.
Full-blown growth
Johnsville Road resident Jason Parrish cited concerns about the potential rezoning of the property and its density after annexation.
“It’s raw agricultural land. There’s no existing infrastructure, no roads, no utilities, and documented watershed considerations. Once this land is subdivided, the village assumes long-term responsibility for the roads, the stormwater systems, the traffic impacts that last decades after the developer’s gone,” he said.
Parrish said he is not opposed to growth. However, it needs to be incremental.
“This property is not incremental. This is full-blown, start-to-finish, top-to-bottom development of all infrastructure.”
johnsville road resident jason parrish
“Higher density residential development at what sounds to be proposed at four homes per acre does not automatically pay for itself long term. Especially when future costs like road construction, reconstruction, stormwater maintenance, utilities, and traffic improvements are considered,” he said.
Parrish asked the council to move cautiously, keep long-term costs in mind, and not increase density.
“Please remember the decisions of this village, they impact all the communities and those that live just outside of it and those around,” he said.
Updike Road resident Fred Wade cited concerns with Arbor Homes and asked the council to review the company’s Better Business Bureau ratings.
He questioned why council members did not respond to his written communications, how developers will handle AT&T cable and tires on the property, and the potential effects of a tornado hitting houses built on a slab.
Mike Simmons is concerned with the ecosystem surrounding the village.
“As these developments around us happen, we’re going to lose our woodlands, our wetlands, etc.,” he said. “I would suggest moving forward that we do it with an eye toward conservation of the natural spaces and not just the farmland, because no one’s talking about the ecosystem.”
Zoning and density
Vanatta Road resident Jenna Hawkins asked about zoning and whether the council can vote against annexation.
The village will annex the land under estate residential zoning, which only allows one house.
If Hondros wants to build more than one, she must apply to have the land rezoned. Under the pre-annexation agreement, she cannot do that until after the village annexes the land.
Village Administrator Richard Dzik said the village encourages these types of developments to seek planned development rezoning because it allows the planning commission and council to review both a preliminary and a final plan.
He reiterated that the village previously said four units per acre is too dense.
Both the planning commission and village council must hold public hearings and approve the final plan.
Village considers additional measures
Council members waived the three readings on Monday and approved soliciting bids for a comprehensive plan.
The plan will project where and how growth might occur in the village, as well as the impact on water, sewer, and stormwater systems, the village sewer plant, and transportation.
“That information, as well as some cost projection out of that, will allow us to determine what the impact of this development will be and what revenues we need to collect due to these developments,” Dzik said.
Dzik broached the idea of a New Community Authority at the council’s December meeting. An NCA is a separate governing body that can assess fees to specific areas of the village.
The village can use the revenue for infrastructure, schools, fire and police, and other areas affected by growth.
“We are considering asking the planning commission and council to require participation in that New Community Authority as a condition of rezoning.”
village administrator richard dzik
Additionally, village officials are considering requiring developers to dedicate either a percentage of land to the village or a cash contribution equal to the dedicated land’s value.
According to Dzik, the village would seek to acquire 30- to 50-acre parcels to preserve agriculture.
“Because the village would own it, we would be able to lease that land out, and we would be able to set the terms of that bid for that lease,” he said.
“We’re aware that Centburg is the heart of Ohio. It’s a farming community. Ohio is a farming state, and so we are trying to find the best way possible to preserve that in light of additional growth and development coming to our village.”
The REDD housing grant
Laughlin asked about the status of the Residential Economic Development District grant that council members learned about in October.
Councilman Daniel Hardwick said the rules were finalized in December, and the council is still learning about them. Council has not applied for the grant.
Regarding the grant requirements, Dzik said the village does not have to adhere to all state guidelines, even though that might mean it does not receive the grant.
He also reiterated that the village will not agree to three things:
•Waiving capacity or tap fees
•Approving modular homes
•Finding a small lot size that might qualify for the grant
Dzik said the developer is working on a grant proposal.
“I’ll have a meeting at some point to go over what they have, and then I’ll eventually come to council for authorization to maybe participate in the grant.
“But at the same time, just because a grant says this, this, and this is what makes you most eligible, it doesn’t mean we’re going to do it,” he said.
Other residents speaking included Cameron James, who spoke at December’s council meeting. James restated his opposition to the annexation.
Rusty Youman, Mount Liberty, asked how the development will affect the water table and whether residents will be forced onto Del-Co water.
Resident Julie Laughlin questioned whether homeowners will be able to pay fees assessed by an NCA.
