Developer gives residents a peek at proposed Easton Farm project

Density, increased traffic and buildings’ height among concerns voiced.

The developer for the proposed $256 million Easton Farm development in Springboro gave the city Planning Commission and residents a virtual peak at what it could look like.

In addition, Larry Dillin also presented a video about a previous development project in Perrysburg, a Toledo suburb, which featured vignettes with local officials about how well the developer worked with city and other local officials to develop a high-quality development.

Those videos can be viewed at the Easton Farm website, https:// theeastonfarm.com/.

Dillin said Easton Farm is “a master-planned development” and is not “a cookie-cutter” development. He said Easton Farm is “unique and specific to add value to the community.” Dillin said they have studied this carefully and looked at the walkability and

connectivity of each area of the development.

“It all goes together and will serve a broad range of demographics,” he said.

For Thursday’s meeting, Dillin LLC submitted the design standards for the development. Dillin said additional information as requested in the staff comments from the March submission should be ready by the commission’s May 12 meeting. During the discussion, Dillin said the assisted living component will be deleted from the plan.

Springboro Planning Commission will meet next on May 12, when it could consider rezoning the property to Planned Unit Development-Mixed Use and approve the Stage 1 PUD plan. There will be other steps in the process before it can go to Springboro City Council for final approval.

“The quality of product that Borror is developing will be attractive to young professionals and older people,” Dillin said.

Planning Commission Member Mike Thompson asked Dillin about the deal being off if the four-story apartments building was not approved. Dillin said a lot of developers build three-story walk-up apartment buildings, however, apartment buildings with elevator cores and which provide other amenities such as on-site staff, a pool, movie room and an office area do better financially.

He also said they are looking at a way to possibly terrace the apartment buildings.

Dillin said, “This is a higher quality multi-family construction for a higher-income demographic.”

Some residents continued to oppose the proposed project and reiterated their earlier concerns about density, the height of the apartment buildings and increased traffic.

Other residents questioned the need as a similar development was already built at Austin Landing, a few miles north of Easton Farm.

Resident Brian Poplin of Deer Trail Drive said the proposed four-story apartment buildings “doesn’t fit in Springboro” and raised concerns about the impact of more traffic and lot setbacks.

Another Deer Trail Drive resident, Donald Cummings, said more than 270 people opposed the proposed project. Cummings said he searched for two years before finding his home in Springboro six years ago. He said removing the assisted living/ memory care facility was “a good idea” as there are about 15 such facilities within a fivemile radius of Easton Farm.

Cummings also felt the taller apartment buildings and “fabricated linear park” did not fit in the city.

Justin Wiedle, also of Deer Trail Drive, said he researched Dillin and Borror properties and said they are “beautiful” but also questioned how it would fit in Springboro.

“Our design and development team is continually looking at how to improve our submission,” Dillin said Thursday. “The idea of terracing is just one of thoughts we have on how to improve the multi-family part of the project.

“We remind ourselves constantly that we are not asking Plan(ning) Commission to approve the design of the multi-family building.”

Dillin said they are focused on the overall master plan and design standards. He said final designs for individual projects and buildings will be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission in a separate submission.

“We removed the (assisted living) and memory care because our market research was clear that the Springboro market is currently saturated for that care category,” he said.