Land deal may mean new homes
Rivendell development off Ohio 741 shapes up after 11-year process.
MIAMI TWP. — A proposal twice rejected by Miami Twp. to build about 80 homes near the Dayton Mall might be on the verge of approval.
Township trustees are set this month to consider changes to an 11-year-old plan for the development — known as Rivendell — on 31.7 acres near the Vienna Park subdivision just east of Ohio 741 and north of the mall.
Trustees have turned down two similar proposals since 2016 after neighbors expressed con- cerns, including traffic, safety and drainage issues. But a land deal the township recently approved with Rivendell developer Zengel Construction gives company President Jim Zengel new hope for approval of the changes that
would allow the homes.
Without trustees’ approval for his request, “We can’t do anything with (the land) ... It’s basically worthless,” Zengel told township zoning commissioners before they recommended approval of a plan calling for 81 homes.
“We feel it’s a very good proposal,” he told zoning commissioners. “We’re using the land as efficiently as we can.”
Land being acquired by the township for $1 includes 12 acres owned by Zengel along Ohio 741.
The move sets in motion a plan for the township to negotiate with nearby prop- erty owners for a route to handle Rivendell construction traffic, alleviating a large chunk of residents’ concerns, Miami Twp. Board of Trust- ees President John Morris said.
But the long-term plan — “probably between 18 to 24 months would be the earliest,” Morris said — is to complete the extension of Vienna Parkway to Ohio 741.
“Our intent in acquiring the land is also to open up negotiations with (owners of nearby land) and to gain access to put a construction road in to take construction road traffic to Rivendell out of the neighborhood itself,” he said.
“We don’t want to build a brand new road and then get hit with a bunch of construction traffic. So we’re going to wait until a good deal of those homes are finished before we finish the road.”
The Rivendell plan set to go before trustees June 12 states all homes will be at least 1,400 square feet and be built on lots that are .21acres at a minimum, township records show.
Zengel said his company is working with Ryan Homes, the builder on previous Rivendell proposals. All homes would consist of 80 percent brick or stone, according to the township.
The amount of brick or stone used to construct the homes was one reason trustees rejected previous proposals and a sticky issue for residents of Vienna Park, who live in homes that made predominantly – if not exclusively – from brick or stone.
The homes would include garages and driveways that each would accommodate two vehicles, thus alleviating some concerns about automobiles on Rivendell streets, Zengel said.