Waterville Township: Developers urged to keep tabs on trash
5/25/2005Waterville Township officials are urging local developers to keep better tabs on trash during the construction of their projects.
Les Disher, chair of the township trustees, said several area residents have reported that debris is blowing onto their property from construction sites in and around the township.
"We've had complaints from a number of farmers finding trash in their fields," Mr. Disher said. "We've had a couple of farmers find sheets of plywood."
The township's zoning commission recently addressed the issue with developers requesting approval of plans for two residential subdivisions.
One subdivision with 73 single-family homes has been approved by the township for a 40-acre site along Dutch Road just west of Waterville-Monclova Road.
The other development, called The Villages at Waterville Landing, is proposed for 340 acres south of Dutch and east of Waterville-Monclova. Developers are planning to later petition for the site to be annexed by the village of Waterville.
Plans for Waterville Landing call for more than 700 living units in a mix of single-family homes, condominiums, and rental apartments.
A final review of requested zoning changes for the development is scheduled for the trustees' meeting on June 8.
The zoning commission agreed to approve plans for both subdivisions on the condition that developers pledged to contain debris on construction sites and clean up any debris found off the sites.
The condition was written into the commission's statement of approval.
"We're asking for better policing from the developers of their builders," Mr. Disher said. "The developers certainly understand our concern, and everybody has been very cooperative."
Mr. Disher said he is encouraging the villages of Waterville and Whitehouse to make similar agreements with developers.
Tom Lemon, a planner for Lucas County, is working with the township to investigate ways to enforce the construction site policy. Mr. Lemon said the county is researching whether developers could be forced to set aside some money for cleanup activities in an escrow account.
"If the developer doesn't keep things clean, the municipality would have money to do the cleanup," he said. "We just started looking into it, but it might make sense."
Contact Rachel Zinn at:
rzinn@theblade.com
or 419-410-5055