Developer Woodard withdraws housing proposal in Butler Twp. near I-70, I-75

Project would have built 45 townhomes and 166 apartments.

One of the Dayton region’s busiest commercial real estate and development firms has pulled out of a project proposed near a bustling area of Butler Twp.

Woodard Development on Friday withdrew its zoning case with the township, after having proposed construction of a multi-family housing development on 12 acres of vacant land along Singing Ridge Boulevard and Moss Glenn Court.

The site is situated south of Interstate 70 and west of I-75, northwest of Miller Lane’s Benchwood Station business district.

In an email to this newspaper on Friday, Todd Duplain of Woodard Development confirmed withdrawal of a preliminary development application.

“In working closely with Singer Properties, the township staff, and township leadership, their collaboration and support throughout the process was outstanding,” Duplain wrote. “Additionally, the property is a great location for development. However, after careful consideration, we made the decision to withdraw the application primarily to focus on the successful execution of other regional projects that have reached fruition.”

Preliminary plans submitted by Reinke Group on behalf of Woodard included development of 11 townhome buildings totaling 45 units on Moss Glenn Court, and six three-story apartment buildings consisting of 166 units on Singing Ridge Boulevard.

The Butler Twp. Zoning Commission tabled a vote to approve the preliminary plans on March 18, requesting additional information from Woodard, including a completed traffic study.

Township Administrator Erika Vogel said Friday that residents of the nearby Singing Ridge neighborhood, located just south of the project site, expressed concerns about the proposed development during the March public hearing.

“The traffic was the main concern,” she said.

Vogel said developers are often not required to complete a traffic study until further into the development process, typically after preliminary plans have been approved by the zoning commission, and before approval of a final development plan.

“That’s typically not done in the beginning, but I think the (commission) requested that to offer some support or reassurance for the residents who expressed these concerns,” she said.

Resident concerns aside, Vogel said Woodard’s proposal was consistent with the township’s comprehensive plans. The preliminary application was recommended for commission approval by zoning department staff.

A letter of support for the project was submitted to the commission by the Singing Ridge HOA.