Sylvania Twp. trustees OK housing plans

1/19/2001

Plans for about 230 single-family houses, 66 luxury townhouses, and a self-storage unit were approved by Sylvania Township trustees last night during a meeting at which the townhouse project was hotly debated for nearly two hours.

Five people who own property or represented owners near the proposed Derby Village, on Wilford Drive, asked trustees to vote down the project.

Most said they feared additional traffic at already dangerous intersections and the loss of the area's rural character.

“It is not up to you as representatives of the public to be guarantors of how much money someone can make,” said Terry Lodge, a Toledo attorney, who told the trustees he represented a number of Wilford residents. He said his clients think multifamily housing is inappropriate for the area.

However, Doug Cornell, who is chairman of the Sylvania and Sylvania Township future land-use group, said he believes that Derby Village was “good, planned growth for this particular area at this time.”

Trustees voted unanimously to change zoning in the 2800 block of Wilford from A-4 to R-1, and they voted 2-1 to change zoning at 2814 and 2942 Wilford, and 2737 through 2905 Moffat Drive from A-4 to R-3. George Fanning voted no.

Before the vote, Trustee Dock Treece asked developer Ryan Wamsher whether he would commit to help pay for a traffic light in seven or eight years because of the increased traffic his development would generate. Mr. Wamsher said he would contribute if trustees would allow him to build 200 units on the parcel. However, he said his 66 townhouses would not generate a large amount of additional traffic. Mr. Treece dropped the issue, admitting his questions were vague.

Zoning changes were approved unanimously for:

Brookestone Village, a 108 single-family house subdivision planned for 42 acres at 9440 and 9500 Sylvania-Metamora Rd. The houses, expected to be built over four years, will start at $175,000. Trustees approved changing zoning from A-3 to R-1. Trustee Dick Moses left the room when the issue was discussed because his firm, Moses-Schlachter Group, is building the houses.

Edgewater Place, a 115 house subdivision on almost 50 acres at 9290 through 9416 Sylvania-Metamora Rd. The houses to be built by Millstream Development are expected to be priced similarly to the neighboring project.

A 200 to 240-unit self-storage facility is to be built by Park West Development, Inc., of Sylvania Township, at a cost of $1.5 million at 7830-7840 Sylvania Ave.

Zoning changes for a proposed Amerihost hotel were delayed at request of the developer, former trustee Donald Finnegan.