PERRYSBURG – City council has approved a rezoning request that will allow construction of an active-adult community.
At Tuesday’s meeting, council voted 5-2 to rezone property at the southeast corner of Five Point Road and Ohio 25 from highway commercial to multi-family development.
At a previous meeting, a Pride One representative said they planned to build ranch style homes that should appeal to older residents who want to downsize but still stay in Perrysburg.
The project would be located north of Saint John XXIII Catholic Parish on North Dixie Highway and west of St. Clare Commons on Five Point Road. Originally zoned agriculture, the 24 acres were rezoned highway commercial with the most recent request to rezone 18.3 acres residential multi-family.
Brody Walters, planning and zoning administrator, said the site plan had been amended to place a deed restriction for adults 55 and over.
There have been no objections from neighboring property owners, said Brian McMahon, president of Danberry National and representing the property owners.
The city’s planning and zoning committee voted 3-0 to approve the request.
The acreage along Route 25 will be commercial and will include a convenience store, gas station, small grocery store as well as some retail.
McMahon said Pride One has made a diligent effort to deal with overcrowding in the schools by adding the deed restrictions and that the development will bring in real estate, retail and income taxes to the city.
“There will be a significant gain in taxes if this project is approved,” he said.
Ben Weinerman, director of development at Pride One Construction, promoted the project as an active 55-and-over community that will be attractive to adults who want to downsize and stay in Perrysburg.
He said the deed restrictions requires 80% of rentals must have a tenant of 55 and older on the lease. The other 20% can be anyone. Rent will be $2,200-$3,000 per month.
“I think it really fills a need the city is missing,” Weinerman said.
Councilwoman Kerry Wellstein said age restrictions or not, families with children and grandchildren can rent a unit.
Weinerman said there will be no playgrounds at the site, thus not promoting renting to families with kids.
Councilman Mark Weber wanted assurance a service drive will be included to which Weinerman said there will be a 50-foot buffer between the residential and commercial properties to allow for a secondary ingress and egress for the community and emergency crews.
The city will ultimately approve a site plan and can deny the plan if no access road is included, McMahon said.
“Without seeing a copy of the deed restrictions … I know my comfort level is not at 100%,” Weber said.
“You’ll get my support of this project,” said Councilman Cory Kuhlman.
An issue with the schools does not mean the city has to stop development, he said.
“Economic development needs to be the focus,” he said. “Our job is responsible economic development. … We have an obligation to not halt development.”
Wellstein and Councilman Rick Rettig voted again the rezoning.
Wellstein voiced concern over what she called the echo affect: older citizens moving out of larger homes, allowing families with kids to move into big homes and add to the overcrowding of the school district.
Perrysburg Schools’ Superintendent Tom Hosler has shared a similar opinion and said earlier this year that what gets glossed over is that as seniors move into smaller homes, families with children will move into their former, larger homes – which brings more students to the schools.
By voting in favor, Wellstein said she would go against everything the city was trying to do to help schools.
McMahon said the city created the problem with overcrowded schools by approving large homes, or what he called the “baby factories.”
“To your credit, the reason you have this problem is a lot of people want to live here,” he said.
