Zoning plea to modify plan

There’s a first time for everything. At the last Mentor City Council meeting, a public hearing was in progress on a rezoning proposal for a Residential Village Green development on Mentor Heights Nursery property when the developer announced he wanted to go another route.

Mentor-based ProBuilt Homes President George Davis seeks to rezone the land from R-4 Single Family Residential to RVG, allowing 47 lots on about 19 acres. The ProBuilt Homes plan is to demolish four homes on Chillicothe Road, northeast of the King Memorial Road

intersection.

Council was considering a plan that provided a

connection to a cul de sac on Remington Drive. The connection is sought by the city administration for safety force access, but opposed by Demshar Drive and Winchester Woods residents concerned about cutthrough traffic.

The Planning Commission approved the rezoning with the condition that access be available via an emergency gate and Knox Box system at Remington.

However, at the Feb. 6 meeting, Davis said he wanted to go back to the Planning Commission with an alternate plan providing for two access points from Chillicothe and eliminating the Remington connection.

“What we figured out was that if we put the northern entrance right at the elbow in the road we could eliminate the sight line (issue),” Davis said.

He indicated that he isn’t worried about delaying the

project.

“Ultimately, a couple of months doesn’t matter either way,” he said. “I’m more concerned we do what’s best for the community.”

Winchester Woods Homeowner’s Association submitted two petitions against the connection, and three neighborhood representatives spoke in opposition at both the commission and council meetings. A crowd from the development attended each as well.

One Chillicothe Road resident expressed concern about traffic from the project. Davis said the new proposal would limit the additional traffic to that generated

by his development.

Council members were uncertain how to proceed with the item on the agenda and whether they would now be considering two different plans.

“So George takes this back and plan B goes to planning, and it’s not approved or it’s modified to such an extent that it doesn’t work for everyone involved; can George come back with this plan?” Councilman at Large Scott Marn asked.

Law Director Richard Hennig noted that City Council can initiate a rezoning. He also noted the irregularity of the situation.

“I’ve been here for 30

years and haven’t seen this before,” he said. “We refer this back and Planning Commission has this plan already and they can vote on the other one. … Both have to come back up here, because under the code you can accept, reject or modify the plan.”

The current plan was left on first reading. The alternate will be on the March 1 Planning Commission agenda.

If approved, the Mentor Heights development would feature ranch, first-floor master and colonial homes in the $350,000 to $475,000 range. Davis said the project is probably at least a year away from starting.