GALENA — The Berkshire Township Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing regarding a potential 296-unit apartment development on Thursday at 7 p.m.
The Dublin Capital Group is seeking to rezone three parcels totaling 36.74 acres from Agriculture to Planned Mixed Use Development. “The property is located on the east side of South 3 B’s & K Road, approximately 2,500 feet south of state Route 37,” states the hearing notice. It is also between Interstate 71 and Sherman Road, and it borders the village of Sunbury.
The multi-family, one- and two-story development is called Phoenix Place, although an architect’s drawing called it Four Winds Commons. The proposed development will have 296 units and about 700 parking spaces. The minimum open space area requirement is 30%, and the proposed open space is 44%. There are 60.59 total acres.
“There will be no known cemeteries, historical, or archaeological sites affected by this project,” states the landscape notes.
On the application, the township said, “With any large project, there are several county and government departments whose input is required before any construction can begin, and in some cases, even before any township zoning can be approved.”
Those agencies are the BST&G Fire District, Delaware County Code Compliance, Delaware County Engineer, Delaware County Regional Planning Commission, Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Delaware Public Health District.
The Berkshire Township Zoning Commission will need to consider seven criteria in order to approve the rezoning. Those include: Whether any divergences are warranted; required design features are met; compatibility with land use and public plans; efficiency in providing public and utility services; and whether there would be adverse impact.
Two criteria pertain to transportation. First is “whether the proposed development will be adequately served by essential public facilities and services including, without limitation, roads, walkways and bike paths, police and fire protection, drainage structures, potable water and centralized sanitary sewers or other approved sewage disposal systems.” Second was “whether the proposed development can be made accessible through existing township roadways or roadways and lane improvements actually being constructed and opened prior to the use and occupancy of the proposed development without creating unreasonable traffic congestion in the immediate vicinity of the proposed development or elsewhere in the Township,” the zoning code states.
“In approving the application and development plan, the zoning commission may impose such conditions, safeguards and restrictions deemed necessary in order to carry out the purpose and intent of the PMUD,” states the township zoning code. If approved, the rezoning would go before the Berkshire Township Board of Trustees.
The hearing before the six-person zoning commission will be held virtually as a Zoom meeting, with details on how to view the meeting being released 24 hours in advance at berkshiretwp.org. Public comment may be provided in advance of the hearing via e-mail to Zoning Inspector David Weade at [email protected] or in writing at 1454 Rome Corners Road, Galena, Ohio 43021.
The April 1 zoning commission meeting has been moved to April 8.
