The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Project gets OK to go ahead
Planning Commission approves preliminary application for developer’s plans construct new townhomes and storage units
A developer is ready to take the next steps on the path to constructing new townhomes and a storage-unit complex near the Hidden Village subdivision in Perry Village.
The village Planning Commission, during a Feb. 23 meeting, approved a preliminary application by Loreto Development Co. to construct 16 townhome buildings consisting of more than 80 residences, and five buildings for mini-storage units.
In that application, the Planning Commission lists conditions Loreto has agreed to incorporate into its final site-plan application for the projects.
The developer intends to build townhomes on about 18 acres between the southern border of
Hidden Village and the railroad tracks, just west of Maple Street. Hidden Village’s main entrance is on Main Street just east of Center Road.
Meanwhile, the storage-unit complex, situated on 2.5 acres immediately east of the townhomes, will fill a space between some existing homes on Maple Street and the railroad tracks.
The overall 20.5-acre parcel, which is zoned commercial, is owned by Loreto Iafelice, president of Loreto Development Co. Iafelice also is the developer of the nearby Hidden Village subdivision, where construction of ranch-style homes began in 2019.
Iafelice, who spoke at the Feb. 23 Planning Commission meeting, said he acquired the commercial property to ensure that the land wasn’t used for a purpose that would disrupt the lives of Hidden Village residents.
“We purchased this property because we wanted to control it,” he said. “I’m not going to put something here that’s going to upset anyone who is purchasing a lot in Hidden Village.”
As an example of an unwanted use, Iafelice said a man had approached him about buying the commercial land to start a crushing operation for recycled concrete.
The village Planning Commission, prior to receiving Iafelice’s proposal, also had expressed concerns about what kind of development could end up on the property.
“There could be a myriad of things that would be very much detrimental to be adjacent to a very fine housing development,” commission Chairman Phil Cassella said. “We’re pleased with the plan that Mr. Iafelice has brought forward because it really is a clean type of setting, not only with homes, but as far as the (storage unit) complex is concerned, it’s something that could be very easily controlled, does not have a lot of people, there’s no dust or dirt involved that could have been put there and so forth.”
Ryan Homes, which is the exclusive builder for houses in Hidden Village, has been chosen by Loreto to construct the townhouses, as well. However, each development is a separate project.
One audience member at the meeting wondered what controls were in place to prevent owners of the townhouses from subsequently renting the properties to undesirable tenants.
Cassella pointed out that the preliminary application approved by the Planning Commission stipulates that the townhomes are to be sold and identified as owneroccupied.
However, limited conditional subletting can be permitted under a one-time request approved by the development’s homeowners association, not to exceed a maximum one-year period, the preliminary application states.
For the storage units, the preliminary application states that all exterior illumination must be timer set, low-impact LED lighting. Unit colors also must be compatible with a residential setting. After securing the commission’s blessing on the preliminary application, Iafelice estimated that he may start construction on some of the storage units by fall. Initially, he said he’d likely put up two of the buildings and see how quickly they are rented out before completing the remaining three structures.
On the other hand, construction of the townhomes likely won’t begin for at least another two years, he predicted. Iafelice said plenty of pre-construction tasks need to be completed, such as soil and water testing, and preparing final drawings to be reviewed by village Engineer David Lewis and the Planning Commission.
“We’ve got a ways to go,” Iafelice said.