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Township Citizens Fight Subdivision

Packed House angered by proposal

Subdivision proposed in Violet Twp.

Thursday, April 22, 2004

MICHAEL J. MAURER
ThisWeek Staff Writer

A meeting of the Violet Township zoning commission was standing-room only Tuesday night as more than 70 township residents turned out to oppose a proposed 214-unit single family subdivision on Refugee Road.

Commission chair John Biancamano said the attendance caught the commissioners off guard, and immediately announced that a second meeting would be held next month to allow additional public comment.

The commissioners scheduled the additional meeting for May 27, 7:30 p.m., Violet Township hall, 12970 Rustic Drive.

"It's very rare that we get a crowd of this size for these (zoning meetings)," Biancamano said.

The proposed planned unit development, tentatively named Eastern Lakes, would cover 109 acres on the north side of Refugee Road between Pickerington Road and Tollgate Road. The land is owned by Alfred and Maria Allert and would be developed by 3 Pillars Homes, said developer spokesman Fred Simon

Simon said the developer projected that the homes would sell for approximately $300,000 and would be built on 80 foot lots. One-and-a-half and two story homes would be a minimum of 2000 square feet.

A total of 214 homes would be built in three or four phases, Simon said. Currently, like all land in Violet Township, the property is zoned residential, including a mix of R1 and R2 zoning.

Simon said the current zoning would allow for 166 homes to be built without any curbs and gutters and without significant additional approvals.

"We don't want to (build without curbs and gutters) because we don't think that makes a very nice subdivision," Simon said. "But those things cost money."

Several Violet Township residents spoke against the project and none spoke in favor. Biancamano limited public comment to 30 minutes and said the May 27 meeting would be dedicated to the Eastern Lakes application only.

Stephanie Brobst, representing the Northeast Violet Township Civic Association, said Simon had been cooperative, meeting with her civic association and also residents of the nearby Huntington Hills subdivision. But she criticized the plan for not including any changes suggested by township residents.

"(The proposed) 2.3 houses per acre in a rural area, which this is, is way out of line," Brobst said. "We would ask the zoning commission to hold the line to 1.4 (units per acre), which is what we got in Violet Meadows."

Brobst also encouraged the developer to consider a contribution to Pickerington Local School District or a 10-acre land donation for a new school bus station.

Township resident Chris Logsdon said the proposed lot sizes were too small and that the developer should look at Violet Meadows.

"Big lots and stringent deed restrictions equals high dollar volume and high property values," Logsdon said. He said high prices help the schools by increasing the amount of property tax collected per child.

Commissioner Larry Sutherland said he was not aware of any planned unit development proposal that was used to increase the number of homes above the number of units allowed under traditional, existing zoning.

"I know why we're doing this," Sutherland said. "It's so you can increase (the number of) units and scrunch down the land used. But that's not what planned development was intended for."


mmaurer@thisweeknews.com

Violet Township Zoning Hearing

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