City says it’s not involved in Sugarcreek annexation fight

Centerville not talking of annexing property, city manager says.

CENTERVILLE— City officials said Centerville is not involved in a contentious land dispute involving a rezoning request that has pitted some in Sugarcreek Township against Oberer Land Developers.

Oberer is seeking to have zoning approved at the township trustees’ March 4 meeting that would give the company the opportunity to build 98 patio-style homes on approximately 85 acres along Wilmington Dayton and Conference roads.

A lawyer for Oberer has told Sugarcreek officials that the land could be annexed by the city, if the township rejects the plan.

“There is no current discussion to annex the property,” Centerville City Manager Wayne Davis said.

Centerville’s former economic development administrator Nathan Cahall had written to the property owner, Peter Rammell in 2013, expressing interest in annexing his property.

“I have found a residential developer that is strongly interested in purchasing your properties ... The developer’s plan would be to have the land annexed into the city of Centerville in order to facilitate a rezoning under Centerville’s zoning standards, which the developer prefers over the township’s zoning limitations,” the May 2013 letter reads.

Davis told the Dayton Daily News on Wednesday that there is no current discussion by the city to make an attempt to annex the property, and the 2013 letter from Cahall to Rammell never moved forward.

“No further discussion came about from the letter, and the city had not and is not pursuing the property,” according to Davis.

Davis said he’s researched the issue and found that there’s nothing on the books to indicate any action from the city regarding the matter.

“I have spoken with several people on this subject, and our message remains the same, this discussion is between Sugarcreek Township officials and the developer,” Davis said. “The city of Centerville is in no way a part of any annexation or development discussions regarding Mr. Rammell’s property in Sugarcreek Township.”

Centerville has unveiled its five-year strategic initiative. There are six goal areas connected with the plan: plan- ning, economic development, core services, finance, infrastructure/housing and technology.

Annexing the Sugarcreek property was not mentioned in the plan, Davis said.