The planning commission, rural zoning commission and township trustees all denied the rezoning. Developer Greg Kuenning said they tried to obtain two commercial properties in the area but neither owner wanted to sell so the rezoning petition was the only avenue left.
He proceeded to say the trustees held a meeting, discussed the project and denied it without telling them they were having the discussion and vote. He also said Township Administrator Bob Bass recommended they go for B-3 zoning.
Yordy said there was no planned meeting, residents came to the trustees to protest the dollar store and Bass never recommended — he confirmed he didn’t to the Journal-News — the B-3 zoning, which is a less restrictive classification.
“The idea of the land use plans, they keep leaving out a key word, that word is planned business development,” she said “A planned business development unit — a PUD — is when you have other businesses going in with you, not just one building in the middle of a cornfield.”
Dittman said he should be able to sell his land if he wants to and just because people “fear” change isn’t a reason to block the development. He said the property has been vandalized, property taxes have skyrocketed on farm land, his health is poor and the township has designated the area for business use. He also acknowledged his brother is on the other side of the fence on the issue.
His brother, Gary Dittman, did speak his mind.
“Money to me is not very important,” he said. “My neighbors are very important to me and preserving the farm land and everything is very important to me.”
Anne Dittman said the fact that government can block a sale makes no sense to her.
“They are telling the property owners, the message I got is, ‘well Mrs. Dittman when your husband dies good luck,’” she said. “You’re gonna have to sell at bottom prices if you want to get rid of it because you can’t sell part of it to a business you’ve got to get a whole big development.”
Commissioner Cindy Carpenter said traffic on what has been called the “highway to heaven” is a major concern for her. She praised the township trustees for their foresight in drafting the land use plan.
“I also support the local control of the Ross Twp. trustees,” she said. “They are in fact leaders in the state of Ohio and I just know they have put so much work into developing this plan. I, like my fellow commissioners, would not be comfortable making a decision to overrule the decision made by local control.”
The commissioners denied the rezoning.
The land use plan isn’t the only forward-looking plan drafted by the trustees. The long awaited draft of the downtown development plan has arrived and officials are reviewing it.
Today the route along Ohio 128 is a hodgepodge of businesses and residential, dotted with houses, banks, car dealers, a Family Dollar and an ice cream shop. The township trustees hired McGill Smith Punshon Inc. to study what is now being called the Venice Downtown Redevelopment District, which stretches from the Venice Pavilion Antiques Mall northeast to School Road.
Bass said the study was held up a bit by the fact the township has purchased the old Tragesser Ford dealership at School Road and will move the administrative, police and eventually the fire department in there. The township paid $695,000 — the auditor valued it at $830,000 — as kind of a strategic move to hopefully spur future redevelopment.
The plan is to keep the historic feel and re-purpose, when owners are ready to sell, the large stately homes and lure businesses like a bistro, coffee shop, professional offices like lawyers and CPAs, maybe a bed and breakfast and a downtown park.
He said once the trustees are finished tweaking the draft plan they will unveil it to the community and ask for their input. There is no timeline on redevelopment and the township doesn’t really have cash to sink into a major project, so they hope developers will come. With the $37,000 plan in place is ensures “big box” stores and the like don’t move in.
“In any of these kind of studies it’s a wish list,” Bass said. “It would be neat if it happened. Will they come? You never know. But without a plan you know it won’t.”
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