Sylvania council could vote on Lourdes plan

6/4/2012

Sylvania City Council is to meet today to deliberate further on the proposed expansion of Lourdes University between Convent Boulevard and Brint Road.

Council's regular meeting is at 7:30 p.m. in its chambers, 6635 Maplewood Ave. It is scheduled to meet as the committee of the whole at 6 p.m. to discuss the Lourdes project and hear from Sylvania's police chief and service director about how the city might address concerns about crime and traffic.

The planning commission has recommended approval of the 11.4-acre Lourdes project on condition the plan is modified. It recommended the university switch the location of a planned academic center on Convent with that of a proposed 47,000-square-foot athletic facility to the south.

Lourdes officials have said this change would pose significant problems. They offered to reconfigure the athletic building and widen the buffer with the nearby Bent Creek Crossing condominiums to 75 feet from 25 feet.

Attorney Marshall Bennett, representing a Bent Creek resident, told council such a change would not satisfy the planning commission's recommendation and urged rejection.

Two council members, Doug Haynam and Todd Milner, say they will not vote on the issue because of ties to persons working for Lourdes. Council could vote on the project today. Acceptance of the commission recommendation would take four votes. A modification would require five.

At the regular meeting, council is to hear again from Jim Ike about the LED lights put up by ProMedica at Flower Hospital.