Lowe's plan breaks rules

3/21/2001

A Lowe's store proposed for Sylvania Township is too big for the zoning books.

The tentative project, located in the 7000 block of Central Avenue, west of McCord Road, needs variances on the height of the building and the size of its sign.

The 135,00-square foot building itself is 28 feet high, with a peak that rises to 47 feet, 12 feet taller than zoning rules allow.

Also, the proposed sign is too tall and too wide. The developer plans to install a sign that is nearly 39 feet high, about nine feet over the limit.

The sign, for the home improvement store, is also 126 square-feet or about 26 square feet too big, according to the zoning rules.

The Sylvania Township Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to take up the issues during a 7 p.m. meeting Monday.

In his comments to the board, Sylvania Township Zoning Inspector Robert Sabo said the two Lowe's variances do “not appear to be a detriment” to the area.

If the variances are granted, the Lowe's project is scheduled for site review and that should not be a problem, Mr. Sabo said. Various officials, including the Lucas County plan commission, have seen the project since it was approved by township trustees in June, 2000.

The store could open in the summer of 2002, said Martin DelleVovi, a spokesman for the developers, Benchmark Group company.

The project has room for another 115,000 square-foot project and three other smaller retailers. There are no potential tenants for those areas.

After complaints, the Benchmark Group of Amherst, N.Y., withdrew plans recently to rezone one part of the Shamrock mobile home park on Alexis Road in Toledo and scaled back plans for a retail development, which could have included a Lowe's store.

“I haven't had any complaints about the [township] project,” Mr. Sabo said.