The property is vacant, undeveloped and covered in trees and green space.
Public notice was provided to all property owners within 200 feet of the property, spurring concerns of “increased traffic” and “cookie cutter houses.”
Another concern was Miller Road, which extends into the property. The road is gravel and residents worry it’s insufficient for the amount of traffic the development might generate.
“I have never in 27 years...seen a situation like this and based on my professional opinion, it should not be a gravel road,” Todd Hall of Todd Homes said. “Unfortunately, if the city does not (pave) that road, at least to just to this property, this property is dead on arrival.”
The city would be responsible for paving and expanding Miller Road.
Megan and Tim Schmale, who own a property at 4717 Miller Road, said the road has not been maintained in 15 years and maintenance has fallen on their shoulders.
Megan Schmale is the great-granddaughter of Cliff Schroff, a late engineer who was worked on many Butler County development projects.
“He understood the point of development, but responsible development and how to make Middletown continue to grow and thrive as it was when he first moved here in the 40s,” Megan said.
Amy Ernest, the current owner of the property for the proposed development, is Schroff’s stepdaughter.
Ernest was unable to attend the meeting, but a representative read a letter she wrote, expressing support for the development.
“Speaking against family is always hard,” Megan said. “We are divided at this point.”
Megan and Tim’s son was moved to tears when he tried to speak.
“I am also the fourth generation to walk on this land and look at the sky,” he said, before his mother took over.
Megan, also speaking through tears, said she was “terrified” after seeing the size of the lots surrounding her family’s land.
“If a family moved into one of the lots, and they had multiple kids, where would they play?” she said.
During the almost two-hour public hearing, 10 additional community members spoke against the development, citing density, traffic flow, zone changes and inadequate building materials as main concerns.
Judy Gilleland, former Middletown city manager, lives near the proposed development. She urged planning commission to either deny or table the preliminary plan.
“This plan, as it is, is not acceptable in any way,” she said.
She cited the zone change required from low density residential to high density, saying it was “too drastic” of a change.
Sam Ashworth, Gilleland’s husband and former executive director of the Middletown Historical Society, cited concerns over building materials.
“Why does the city clearly state what materials are required in our developments only to have developers continue to request waivers to permit them to use cheaper looking materials? Why do we set high standards and then not stick to them?” he said.
Representatives from the Woods of Manchester, a 53-unit complex which runs along the southern border of the proposed development, cited worries of flooding, noise, traffic and infrastructure.
Though it is not officially a senior community, almost all residents of Woods of Manchester are senior citizens.
In response to the public hearing, Hall said: “I know where we’re at. I hear it. Most importantly, I get it. We don’t live in the same market that we lived in 20 years ago.”
“With all due respect, in my opinion, you will never see this developed as R1,” he said, citing the current low density zoning for the property.
He said he would save as many trees as possible and be responsible with the development, which already has “hundreds of hours” of work put into it
“This farm will develop, and I believe that I provided this community the best mixed use that I possibly can,” he said.
City councilman Paul Horn also spoke in favor of the development.
“We need to continue to consider the density that we need in our city,” he said. “We want our citizens and also our future citizens to want to embrace Middletown, and the way we do that is by unfortunately taking land that people...had a connection to.”
“I feel very strongly that we need to continue to grow our city,” he said.
Planning commission members shared some of the residents’ concerns, ultimately denying the preliminary plan. The plan will now go to city council for approval or denial.
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