Heath Planning Commission approves zoning for 244-home subdivision
Kent Mallett
HEATH − The Heath Planning Commission unanimously approved rezoning for a 244-home subdivision on Irving Wick Drive East, contingent on approval of a traffic study, despite resident opposition at Thursday night’s public hearing.
Homebuilder D.R. Horton reduced the homes in the proposed South Fork Ridge subdivision from 325 in February and 302 in June. The 94-acre Licking Township site is just outside the Heath city limits in the Lakewood School District.
The property, which would be annexed into Heath to provide utilities for the development, is located south of Irving Wick Drive, adjacent to The Villages at River Oaks and across from the River Oaks housing subdivision.
The Planning Commission voted 5-0 in favor of the Planned Unit Development zoning sought for the land, allowing for detailed requirements not available in other zoning classifications. The commission ruling is a recommendation to city council, which will have a public hearing in November before making a final decision. The seven-member council needs five votes to override the commission.
Five residents spoke against the rezoning and none supported the resolution at the hearing. The major objection voiced by residents was the speed and volume of traffic on Irving Wick Drive East, even before the addition of a housing subdivision.
Irving Wick Drive resident Jean Hart told the commission police need to enforce the speed limits on the street.
“We have tanker trucks that fly 50 miles per hour down that road every day," Hart said. "Trash trucks, semi-trucks, all kind of trucks. I’ve never yet seen a Heath cop stop anybody.
“You could sit in my driveway at 3 o’clock every afternoon and give out 50 to 60 tickets for speeding. It’s terrible. And what worries me is you’re going to put another 400 to 500 cars on that road. I just don’t think the road is ready for it.”
John Tomlinson, president of the Villages of River Oaks Condo Association, said many of the River Oaks residents are in their 70s, 80s or 90s and the additional traffic will jeopardize their safety. He said more area developments will likely follow, increasing the danger, and he's already seen several crashes.
“My concern is our school buses, and now we’re going to have more people going in and out of there," Tomlinson said. "And that hill there. There needs to be a light or something. It’s dangerous. It’s the most dangerous street to pull in and out of. It’s so unsafe. It’s going to be a nightmare.”
Joe Looby, senior landscape architect with EMH&T Engineers, said the developer has the first draft of a traffic study and the final draft should be available in one to two weeks. He said the draft shows turn lanes are needed, but not a traffic signal.
“We’re committed to doing whatever the study says," Looby said.
Heath Mayor Mark Johns said the city's reluctance to approve the subdivision with 325 homes may have unknowingly changed the study's verdict on a traffic light.
“My hope was this development would show a requirement for a roundabout or traffic light, some sort of traffic calming feature," Johns said. "It’s logical to think that more homes in this subdivision, with a higher traffic count, it might have made that (traffic signal) more warranted."
Rob Little, the D.R. Horton division vice president of land acquisition, said the number of homes has been reduced by 81, increasing the distance between homes from 10 feet to 15 feet and reducing the density to 2.4 units per acre. Almost one-third of the site will be left in its natural state, he said.
Molly Gwin,legal counsel for D.R. Horton and partner at Isaac Wiles, said, “This project has evolved significantly. This plan has taken into account everyone’s concerns.”
There will be just one entry from Irving Wick into the subdivision instead of two. There will be 31% open space in the community, more than the required 20%. The development will include 1,000 feet of a 10-foot asphalt path, shelter house, playground, three miles of sidewalks on both sides of the streets, 2,300 feet of limestone path, four streams and existing wetlands preserved, and woods snaking throughout the development.
Gwin said housing in central Ohio is very much in demand, with 8,000 homes built a year, but needing 14,000 to 19,000 homes built annually.
Intel begins construction this year on the largest commercial development in Ohio history, a $20 billion computer chip manufacturing operation which could grow to a $100 billion investment, just south of Johnstown. The company expects production to start in 2025 and employment to reach 3,000. Another 7,000 will work in construction jobs on the site, with some already there.
“These people have to live somewhere,” Gwin said.
Lakewood Superintendent Mark Gleichauf said he looked forward to the new families moving into his district, but was unsure how it would affect enrollment.
"The district has other housing developments currently in progress and has experienced no enrollment growth," he said. "If that occurs when this development gets to construction we will address it appropriately."
Little said, the 55-foot lots would likely sell for about $390,000, which requires a combined household income of $112,606. The Intel employees will earn an average salary of $135,000.
Dave Dozer, developer with D.R. Horton, said if the development is approved, construction would begin next year and the first of four phases would be completed in the spring of 2024. He said the homebuilder could afford to reduce the number of homes because the price of the land will change based on the number of lots.
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