MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon City Council approved the development plan for Liberty Crossing, a planned neighborhood development slated for Newark Road, by a 5 to 1 vote on Monday night. Councilman Mike Hillier cast the dissenting vote.
“I have a grave concern for taking cornfields,” Hillier said. “There goes another one.”
He also cited concerns about potential traffic problems generated by the development and the future condition of the multi-family units.
Noting that about 50 percent of Mount Vernon is rental property, he said, “My concern is, in 15 years, those apartments will be bought and sold a couple of times. What’s the condition of those apartments? Hopefully, they don’t sell to some of the landlords we have in Mount Vernon right now. I don’t want to see them go in that direction.”
Hillier also said that holding several committee meetings, public hearings, and taking the legislation to its third reading shows the community that council does not rubber-stamp things that come from the Municipal Planning Commission.
Councilman Mel Severns said that as a councilman, his task is to support what is better or best for the greater good of the city, even when some of the residents will not be satisfied. Sometimes that means supporting something that benefits a few people in one section of the city; sometimes it means supporting something that benefits many.
“That is the conundrum public officials often face, determining what is best overall for the public, even though a few are not happy about a decision,” he said. “Relating to this development, I believe this is for the greater good of the city. I think about good-paying jobs in our city that need filled; people that live in this development can fill those positions.”
Council members Amber Keener, Jim Mahan, and Tammy Woods referenced their first-hand knowledge of how difficult it is to find housing in Mount Vernon.
Keener said she spent hours researching the list of citizens’ concerns and noted that Mount Vernon residents love their homes so much, they don’t want to lose that environment.
“But the thing is, other people also love that environment that we are in, and I hope that we can make Mount Vernon such a welcoming place that when they build that house, you take them cookies. Because that’s what Mount Vernon is about,” she said.
As a First Ward resident, Mahan said he is affected by Newark and Martinsburg roads and understands the traffic concerns.
“At the same time we’re concerned about the traffic, we also have to consider the private property rights of the people who own this property,” he said. “We have to think about the workforce and the need to attract investment to Mount Vernon.”
Growing up in Mount Vernon, Woods recalled past change when the two hospitals closed and merged into Knox Community Hospital and the questions of “Who would want to live in a cookie-cutter house?” and “Who will buy something that expensive in Mount Vernon?” when current subdivisions were being built.
“I remember when the drive-in movie theater was torn down and people were having a fit that we were going to have an industrial park at that end of town. Where would the city be today without that industrial park?” she asked. “I understand change is hard. … Change is hard, but there are a lot of people working behind the scenes to make that change safe.”
She noted that change associated with the development will be gradual as homes are built and people move in.
“I am not trying to make light of the fact that your neighborhood is changing, but Mount Vernon is growing. … Amazingly, they become our neighbors and our friends and those we go to church with. I hope that’s how we open and welcome these new residents,” she said.
“There’s been neglect in the growth of this city. … We haven’t had growth in housing for some time,” Councilman John Francis said. “It’s more of a growing pain for people who’ve been here. … My hope is this action will draw industry here because the lack of something here has caused a lot of industry to leave.”
Prior to their vote in the legislative session, council held a 45-minute meeting of the Planning and Zoning Committee. Gary Smith of Highland Real Estate provided answers to concerns raised at the Feb. 27 public hearing.
Regarding taking people’s property via eminent domain to accommodate turn lanes on Newark Road (Route 13), Smith said all property will be taken from land owned by HRE on the west side of the road; none will be taken from private property owners on the east side.
“We have absolutely no need for any additional property to make this function safely,” he said. “As a developer, we don’t have the authority to take property via eminent domain.”
Relating to the speed study, Smith said traffic patterns were analyzed for one week between Range Line and Blackjack roads during morning and evening peak times, off-peak times, and times when school busses ran. There are two zones in that stretch: 45 mph and 55 mph.
“Ultimately, the speed study by ODOT did not see the warrant to reduce the speed on Route 13,” he said.
Referencing the turn lanes into the development, a northbound turn lane meets ODOT’s warrants by 2033. Southbound meets ODOT’s warrant now and in 2033.
Matt Skinner of HRE confirmed that HRE intends to build both turn lanes from the start.
Of the projected additional traffic, City Engineer Brian Ball said not everyone will leave their home in the development at the same time, and some will take different paths into town to drop children off at schools or day care.
Additionally, city officials are working with businesses in the industrial park, asking them to consider staggering shift changes and offer on-site food trucks to alleviate traffic congestion.
Rick Kettell of Meadowbrook Drive asked how the development’s storm water and retention ponds will affect Delano Run, which runs through his property.
Ball responded that HRE is required to do computer modeling showing current runoff rates and how development will change the runoff. HRE must also list what it will do to mitigate runoff. He said residents can see those studies when they are completed.
Brookwood Road resident Tim Burton reiterated his concerns from Feb. 27 that he will be looking at 30 three-story apartment buildings from his front window and that his property value will decrease.
Skinner responded that plans call for at most 20 units, most of which will be two-story. He acknowledged that sometimes the builder does three-story units.
HRE’s Smith said opinions about lower property values are based on a misconception. Noting that the real estate market works on cost, he said houses across the street selling for $350,000 to $400,000 makes existing houses more valuable, not less.
Burton also noted concerns about what future improvements the Blackjack Road-Newark Road intersection might need and questioned whether land might be taken via eminent domain to widen that intersection.
Council President Bruce Hawkins said the Municipal Planning Commission unanimously approved the development plan and that council appoints the MPC to make these types of decisions.
“This is not the end. The preliminary plat still needs approved,” he said. “This is controversial; people have concerns, and I understand that. But we need to listen to the planning commission.”
Don Carr, Upland Terrace, pointed out that of the five members of the planning commission, the public only votes on one.
“You, on the other hand, are the leaders of the boards and represent the entire residents of Mount Vernon, so it’s up to you to make the decision as to whether this is an acceptable project,” he told council.
Responding to Carr’s question about housing data specific to Mount Vernon, Councilwoman Keener referenced the 2021 study done by the Area Development Foundation.
Realtor John Yoder spoke in favor of the development plan. Three Mount Vernon residents submitted letters opposing the plan.
Legislative action
In addition to approving the Liberty Crossing development plan, council members took the following actions:
•Approved resolutions to bid and contract for the Stump/Northview water and sewer project and sell vehicles impounded by the Mount Vernon Police Department
•Postponed indefinitely a contract with Gray Matter Systems for work at the water treatment plant
•Adopted a resolution urging the Ohio Legislature to restore Local Government Funds to pre-recession levels. In 2011, former Gov. John Kasich lowered the LGF from 3.6% to 1.665 of the General Revenue Fund.
•Approved a summer intern position for the law director’s office. The position will be 40 hours a week for 10 weeks. Council budgeted for the position in the 2023 appropriations.
We need to vote everyone out. Fast.