WHITEHOUSE – With little discussion, Whitehouse Village Council on March 17 held a first reading on an ordinance to rezone 37.99 acres for Country Meadows South – a proposed single family home subdivision at 11320 Archbold Whitehouse Rd.
Developer Charlie Grass of Artisan Craftbuilt Homes sat quietly, listening as two residents spoke against rezoning the farmland from S1 Suburban to R-2 Residential.
“The density of homes is too much for the traffic in the area, for Oakbrook and any of the other feeder streets,” said Centerville Street resident Jeff Heaney. “I’m mainly opposed to the curb cut on 64. I’m opposed to the variance on the lot sizes. The schools can’t handle the traffic. The village is not prepared for that kind of development.”
While a preliminary plat was presented to the village’s Planning Commission on March 2 to get feedback – showing 37 homes in Plat 1 – the exact layout and number of homes isn’t finalized, as Grass is waiting to find out whether he’ll get the R-2 zoning.
For 18 months, Grass has sought to rezone the property from S-1 Suburban, which has bigger lots. Grass initially asked for the more dense R-3, then R-2 with a Planned Unit Development (PUD) – both of which were denied. On March 3, the village held a public hearing on rezoning to R-2, which matches the zoning of Oak Brook.
“I know Oak Brook is R-2. We can’t change the past, but we can change the future,” Heaney said, encouraging the village to look at overall development and the impact on traffic.
“We’ll have at least 80 more cars. We’ll have problems with traffic. Waterville, Oakbrook, Temperance and West will be a mess,” Waterville Street resident Craig Whitman predicted.
Council Member Carrie Tuohy asked if Temperance Street, a stub street that will be extended into Country Meadows South, would get speed bumps and sidewalks.
“My road is taking the brunt,” she said of the development’s plans to utilize Temperance. Tuohy said children play and ride bikes in the streets because of the lack of sidewalks.
“What are we doing to keep children from getting hurt? I want to make this workable for everybody. I want to make sure we’re not punishing one group,” she said.
Council will hold a second reading on the ordinance during the Tuesday, April 7 meeting, then hold a third and final reading on Tuesday, April 21.
During the meeting, council also:
• Heard that the village is one of 10 communities out of 48 to receive both the Tree City USA designation and the Growth Award this year.
•Heard that the Tree Commission will host an Arbor Day event with Whitehouse Primary School third graders on Wednesday, April 29. A shellbark hickory, catalpa, American elm and swamp white oak will be planted at Whitehouse Park.
•Heard that a spring seminar featuring Paul Bauman speaking about mosquito control will be held on Wednesday, April 22 at 7 p.m. in council chambers.
•Awarded a $47,035 contract with Vodika to repair the maintenance building roof.
•Awarded a $207,303 contract for Bowers Asphalt to repave Cemetery Road between the Wabash Cannonball Trail and Weckerly Road.
•Learned that the Public Works Department staff is researching options and ideas for inclusive playground equipment to be added to Whitehouse Park.
•Agreed to update the conditions for no-bid contracts. If the purchase or project is not a line-item in the budget, it should be reviewed by the Committee of the Whole and then council. If the purchase is in the budget, and the bid is equal, less or within 15 percent of the budget, it can be brought directly to council.
•Discussed ways to meet residents’ requests to provide a village newsletter without printing and distribution, such as a short video posted online.
•Heard that the Saturday, March 21 Easter Egg Hunt will start at 10 a.m. at the Whitehouse American Legion, with staggered 15-minute start times for different age groups.
•Discussed a complaint about the electric outage on Field Avenue in an area where many elderly or disabled residents live. Toledo Edison was urged to give the area priority, said Mayor Rich Bingham.
•Heard that a resident asked whether trash pickup could be delayed on days with high winds, as trash and cans were blowing into the streets and yards. Tuohy thanked ARS drivers for picking up as much as the could. Delaying pickup could prove a hardship for those who fill up their bins each week, added Council Member Joe Bublick. Administration will reach out to ARS to see if a delay would be just one day or a week, and whether other options are available when inclement weather impacts pickup.
•Asked Law Director Kevin Heban to draft an ordinance mandating sidewalks in new neighborhoods, in order to encourage connectivity. Heban said such an ordinance already exists, but Council Member Dave Riggenbach said some neighborhoods do not have them.
•Heard that retiring firefighters Tom Vincent and Rich Snyder will be honored during the Whitehouse Fire Association meeting on Wednesday, April 1.
•Heard Fire Chief Jason Francis say the department is working through new DEA requirements for fire and EMS to lock up narcotics in special vaults.
In other Whitehouse news:
• The Crust Pizzeria is expanding its operation into the adjacent vacant storefront, opening up a doorway from the existing space at 6792 Providence St. This will allow the addition of 26 seats and more room to operate, according to owner Tony Fronk.
• Plans for a collaboration between the Toledo Lucas County Public Library and the Metroparks for a new library and conservation center at Blue Creek Metropark have changed. Library leadership is now in conversation with Whitehouse administration to find an alternative location to the park, but plans to open a new library in the village within the next two years, according to library spokesperson Stephanie Elton. In the meantime, the nonprofit, independent Whitehouse Library remains open.
