Perrysburg council nixes zoning change

6/8/2005

Perrysburg City Council denied a request for a zoning change last night that would have allowed a business park and multifamily residential development along Roachton Road, southeast of State Rt. 25.

Oak Valley Development had requested rezoning of about 8 acres, but residents of the nearby Perrysburg Heights neighborhood opposed it, saying the south side of the road should remain residential to protect the character of the neighborhood.

As a compromise, 5.27 acres were then proposed for rezoning.

Council voted 4-3 against the zoning change. Councilmen Tim McCarthy, Lizabeth Larson-Shidler, Thomas Mackin, and Kevin Rantanen voted against it. Councilmen John Kevern, Joseph Lawless, and Maria Ermie voted for it.

Many of the three dozen residents at the meeting applauded after the vote.

Several councilmen argued that the city should not deviate from its comprehensive plan, which designates the land as residential. "I'm reluctant to just proceed, and bend that plan and break it, and go with the proposed rezoning," Mr. McCarthy, council president, said.

However, council plans to re-examine the plan, which was adopted in 1993. At that time, it could decide to establish commercial zoning for the land.

"If that's the case, you could come out with something a lot worse," Ms. Ermie said.

On another controversial issue, council voted 5-2 to advertise for bids to reconfigure the intersections of Findlay Street with Cherry Street and Indiana Avenue and to award a $28,000 construction engineering contract for the work to Mannik and Smith Group, of Maumee.

Councilmen Rantanen and Ermie voted no.

The city is paying about 30 percent of the total cost, with federal money covering the rest.

The intersection is considered "awkward," but some residents say the project is too expensive, especially with the addition of an archaeological expert to make sure no historic artifacts are disturbed.

The site is near an old cemetery, but city officials say all digging for the project will be at least 50 feet away from the cemetery's boundaries.

Mannik & Smith has an archeologist on staff.