New Russia Twp. community objects to 622-acre 'mega site' rezoning proposal (UPDATED)

This story has been corrected to fix an error in the location of the acreage proposed for rezoning and to correct the spelling of Dru Siley's first name. NEW RUSSIA TWP. — Township and Lorain County residents made their feelings clear Thursday night to the township zoning commission: Don't rezone agricultural land in the township for a future "mega site" for industrial or commercial development. Hundreds of people attended Thursday's meeting at the township lodge on Butternut Ridge Road. No adjacent landowners or township residents spoke in favor of a plan to rezone 622 acres of property from agricultural/residential and general business to industrial park-zoned land for future potential industrial development. "We don't want this," resident Erin Davis said to loud applause. She was joined by the vast majority of those who attended Thursday's zoning commission meeting who stood, literally, when asked to stand in opposition to the plan.The commission, which heard more than two hours of public comment on the proposal, did not cast its vote by The Chronicle-Telegram's press deadline. Zoning Commission Chairman James Griner said the commission could vote one of three ways. It could approve the request, deny it or approve it with modifications. Township trustees would then hold another public hearing on the matter within 30 days. Documents on the proposal can be found at newrussiatownship-oh.gov. The proposal Most of the 622 acres in question is between Oberlin Road and state Route 58 north of Russia Road, with one of Ceres Farms' parcels lying east of Oberlin Road near Albrecht Road. The owners include Ceres Farms, Huron County Holdings and Richard Pleasnick, according to township documents and the zoning commission. All three owners are represented by Liberty Development Company. Dru Siley of Liberty Development said the proposal to rezone from residential/agricultural, or R1, and general business, or GB, follows the current township land use plan. It has been a site of proposed development for 30 years, and all 622 acres worth of parcels his clients control are under contract. The "enterprise zone" the property is in "encourages development" including the creation of jobs, Siley said. The township approved rezoning 1,000 acres of property at the county regional airport to industrial park, or IP last year, he said. The proposal won't affect any farmland preservation areas identified in the 2013 township land use plan. Residents said that was incorrect, with one pointing to a map of the proposed rezoning where farmland preservation area overlapped the enterprise zone. The area in question is "outside the farmland preservation district" and already has water, sewer and gas utilities on site, Siley said. The Lorain County Planning Commission already has recommended the rezoning take place, he said. Development won't happen overnight. "This is development over time" with "a multitude" of tenants expected, Siley said. Residents speak out The zoning commission didn't take questions, but residents made their feelings known. Residents like Denice Anderson, of Albrecht Road, said she was concerned that after "spending a lot of money" on her house on Albrecht Road, it could be taken by the government by eminent domain. "I'm concerned about the road being widened. I'm concerned about flooding. I'm concerned about pollution. Noise. I'm concerned about my property value. The culture of the township," she said. Erin Mason, who said she has lived on Russia Road for 22 years, said her biggest concern was the unknown. "We don't know what it will be" on the site, she said, questioning the wisdom of rezoning hundreds of acres "with no plan in place." If that happens, the zoning commission "is not working for the residents of the township," she said, also to applause. Russia Road resident James Roman questioned "the rush" to rezone. "Until we know what's going there, we shouldn't rezone it," he said. "Bring it back to the table when they're ready to tell us what's gonna go there." And do it collectively, ethically and with residents' cooperation, said one woman who spoke Thursday. Instead of putting the mega site in New Russia Township, multiple speakers said it should go where Midway Mall is in Elyria or on the old Ford plant property in Brownhelm Township. Background News broke in July that Lorain County had received $67.4 million from the All Ohio Future Fund to upgrade water and sewer utilities to attract development to a proposed "mega site" near the Lorain County Regional Airport on Russia Road. The site is 1,000 acres of undeveloped land intended to become manufacturing and industrial space. County commissioners said they hoped to invite development there, but couldn't without the proper utility lines and a possible $22.5 million match. Arguments against the mega site are varied. Most revolve around the proposed project ruining New Russia Township's rural feel and leading to negative environmental impacts to water, air, soil, food and water supply. Residents have said they don't want a "data center" for Amazon, Microsoft or another multinational technology company in the township, using up their water resources for cooling and increasing pollution. A Change.org petition titled "Stop the construction of a mega site in New Russia Township" had 3,869 signatures as of 5 p.m. Thursday. Lorain County has about 100,000 acres of farmland, according to U.S. Census data, accounting for nearly 1/3 of all its acreage. The Lorain County Farm Bureau put out a statement on its desire to protect, preserve and maintain "productive farmland." Brad Lacko, with the Farm Bureau, read that statement again at Thursday's meeting. More than 100 people attended an Oct. 27 meeting about the plan in South Amherst. County Commissioner David Moore said at the time that development of the site was inevitable. He said he hoped it would attract multiple companies with good-paying jobs and suggested the county might favor industries tied to aviation or the defense industry that can use the airport as a hub. He said Thursday that he would not be at the zoning meeting, having attended two previous meetings on the topic. Commissioner Marty Gallagher said he had another event Thursday and wouldn't attend Thursday's meeting. Commissioner Jeff Riddell did not respond when asked if he would attend. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.