Grafton reveals survey results for Beacon Business Park; residents oppose development

The potential future of the village of Grafton's Beacon Business Park — a 650-acre swath of land owned by the village near Avon Belden Road — was on display Tuesday night as local officials and community members gathered for a town hall at the Historic Grafton School. Local officials shared the results of a survey, made from the start of December until the end of January, that allowed residents to weigh in on what will become of the "developable" land northeast of the downtown area. According to the survey responses, 160 residents of the village largely indicated that the land should remain as farmland or be used as recreational space. Grafton officials indicated that residents broadly opposed housing development and data centers. Two of the largest concerns residents expressed, according to the survey results, were overdevelopment and the loss of a "small town" atmosphere. "It's very important that you get to decide what we're going to be doing with this property," Mayor Charles Duke said to the audience Tuesday. "The results show that we want to keep it agricultural or wetlands." At the time the survey was released in December, Duke and Village Administrator Andrew Lipian expressed their interest to listen to the residents and figure out what they truly wanted. "It's their village," Duke said at the time. "And I ran on that. … Part of my running ethic was to hear the voice of the people." During Tuesday's town hall, Duke echoed that sentiment, saying that he would abide by what the residents want. Still, Duke said he wanted to see the area remain as farmland. "I would like to keep it farmland," he said to applause. "There's always pros and cons to everything. But if the cons are going to oversize the pros, it's not worth it." While addressing those in attendance, Duke said the village still owes about $133,000 on the land. However, the mayor added that the village is currently earning approximately $145,000 annually by renting out the area for farming. Within a year, he said, Grafton will be making a profit if the current deal is maintained. "One of the things that I ran on was transparency," Duke said. "So we want to keep everything out in the open on what we're going to do. We're not making any moves any time soon, any time fast." A panel discussion was held prior to Tuesday's town hall with Robert Beekman, of the Lorain County Farm Bureau, Paul Beckhusen, of American Municipal Power, and Christine Nelson, of Team Northeast Ohio. During the panel, which was moderated by Lisa Hutson of ONE Lorain County, topics discussed included industrial development, renewable energy and what infrastructure may be needed.However, discussion focused primarily on what the community would want out of the land and how to appropriately prepare for that outcome. Beekman said development without drastically altering the area was possible, but it would take intentional planning. Because Grafton owns the land, Nelson said any decisions are ultimately up to the village. Nelson pointed to zoning and land use planning as levers to pull for the community to further solidify what does or does not happen to the land. Still, Nelson advised the community to think of the future and what later generations may need in the community. Referencing the Grafton Correctional Facility, which is near the Beacon Business Park, Nelson said the land was not "disconnected" from established development. Near the close of Tuesday's town hall, Duke spoke of the potential development around the Lorain County Regional Airport — a location that has been called the "mega site" — which has drawn opposition from residents of New Russia Township. "We're not going to have that stuff," Duke said. "They weren't asked what they wanted to put in there. They were told what they're going to get. That ain't the way it works here." Contact Garrett Looker at glooker@chroniclet.com.