Miami Twp. rejects plan for 88-home project

Township trustees side with zoning commission, residents.

Dozens of residents feared the impact a multimillion-dollar housing development would have on their land.

MIAMI TWP. — Dozens of residents fearing the impact a multi-million dollar housing development would have on their land got their way this week as Miami Twp. rejected the proposed 88-home project.

Township trustees voted 3-0 Tuesday night to side with the zoning commission and residents, blocking Ryan Homes’ proposal to build the development known as Rivendell on about 32 acres next to the Vienna Park neighborhood north of the Dayton Mall and east of Ohio 741.

“We have these standards for a reason,” said Board of Trustees President Andrew Papanek in explaining the decision.

Papanek’s comments came after the panel stood firm against further flexibility on softened zoning standards that still permitted Vienna Park residents, according to one homeowners’ association leader, to continue “the excellent quality of living that we presently enjoy.”

Vienna Park — consisting of brick and stone homes — was built by Zengel Construction, which owns the land on which Rivendell was proposed. Ryan Homes sought a major modification to a 2007 plan by Zengel to build 88 homes made of all brick and stone, township records show.

The township softened its standards for Ryan, yet still required the homes to have 75 percent

brick or stone on the front façade and 66 percent brick or stone on all other facades, township records show.

But Ryan representative Mark Locke said the com- pany could not meet those requirements. He said Ryan’s desire to offer “craftsmen” homes similar to ones it built in Beavercreek and at Yankee Trace in Centerville made those percentages unattainable.

Board of trustees Vice President Doug Barry acknowl- edged even the township’s revised guidelines for the property would eliminate his current home.

“I don’t have enough brick on my house or stone .... on my house (to be) in that neighborhood,” he told more than 40 people who turned out for the issue. “So I’d have to build somewhere else.

“We have zoning requirements in place for a reason,” Barry added. “There are stan- dards in place to protect current residents and there are zoning requirements we have to protect developers.”

Vienna Park residents also raised questions about the housing project’s impact on water drainage, traffic, noise, quality of life and property values.

Nancy Hamilton, a Vienna Woods Trail resident, talked about her home.

“My husband and I built our forever home 25 years ago,” she said. “We built with Zengels.

SKY7 Miami Twp. has rejected a plan to build 88 single-family homes on about 32 acres just east of Ohio 741 and north of the Dayton Mall. Trustees Tuesday night upheld a recommendation by the township zoning commission. That panel cited traffic, zoning and...

NICK BLIZZARD/STAFF The plan to build 88 single-family homes on about 32 acres was strongly opposed by Vienna Park residents, many of whom voiced their concern to Miami Twp. officials.