Officials are working out a compromise for the former school and township office building at 90 N. Main Street.
‘The course I recommend is the creation of a Historic Limited Use Overlay District,? said City Planner Dick Carlisle in a letter to city officials. ‘Overlay districts are a common tool used when there are unique circumstances to be addressed, which I believe to be the case with the subject property.?
The district would ‘preserve the historic integrity of applicable properties and ensure compatibility with underlying R-1 (residential) zoning.?
City Manager Dennis Ritter noted the ‘overlay district is a very narrow, confined amendment to the ordinance that would be specific to that site and that sight only.?
He said the owners of 90 N. Main, Ed Adler and Bob Roth, Ley-Ray Holdings LLC, have come up with an agreement as to what they want there and will go before the planning commission and city with their request.
‘Once we receive their paperwork, the process will begin in terms of the amendment to the zoning ordinance,? Ritter said. ‘There will certainly be public hearings and everyone is going to have an opportunity to speak to it.?
The amendment serves only the owners of 90 N. Main, so Ritter said they are requesting and requiring Adler and Roth to pay the estimated $3,600 for the ordinance preparation up front.
‘Any of that not spent will be returned,? he said.
Councilman Thomas Hunter said applicants? wishes for the property will not be automatically written into the ordinance amendment.
‘If they propose certain uses and if the village represented by the planning commission and the city council agree with those uses, then that would be written into this new provision, which would apply only to that property,? Hunter said. ‘We’re not saying whatever they want to use it for, we’ll go along with.?
Resident Theo Papatheodoraperilos said he didn’t understand why the city is paying to help the owners of 90 N. Main ‘find a solution as to how we (the city) can get around to give them what they want and name it something else??
Mayor Joe Luginski said that wasn’t what they were doing.
‘We got Mr. Carlisle here to help the city get all the protections of the historic district and restrictions we can get based on this overlay district,? Luginski said. ‘That’s the bottom line.?
Papatheodoropoulos argued the owners knew it was zoned R1 residential when they bought the property.
‘He (Adler and Roth) has several pieces of property,? Papatheodoropoulos said. ‘Why are we so concerned about it? He’s either R1 or he’s not R1.?
Hunter said the use of the historic overlay district was a compromise ‘to try and work something out that both parties can live with,? as well as avoid going to court, where the city could lose and the owners could do whatever they wanted with the property.
Bisio agreed.
‘I’m going to listen to what they have to propose and consider not only what they want to do, but also the strengths and weakness of our position,? he said. ‘I’d love nothing more than to say ‘you guys knew it was residential when you bought it, stick with that. Tough for you if you want to do something else with it,? but, I don’t think that’s a realistic position to take.?
Resident Eric Haven remembered a similar situation, when residents were upset that Sharron Catallo and her husband bought the former United Methodist Church at Buffalo and Church and renovated it as a house.
‘I would just advise some caution, some time be given to this,? Haven said. ‘It seems like a knee-jerk response to a situation that is not dire at all.?
Resident Don Frayer said residents need to keep their mind on the budget.
‘You’re talking about a tax base. You’re talking about the level of taxes. A vacant building is certainly not something we’re going to reap the benefits from and that’s a part of best use,? he said. ‘I don’t know if there is a ‘Catallo? that’s going to pay $30,000 in taxes for a single residence.?
The council voted 5-1-1 to release eight non-confidential documents concerning 90 N. Main, to be placed on the City’s website for the public to view. Councilman Steve Hargis voted “no” and Councilwoman Peggy Roth obstained from voting and discussion due to “conflict of interest.”
‘There is a lot of interest in this and there is some sense that there are secret discussions going on behind closed doors that may not have been proper in some way,? said Councilman Richard Bisio who made the motion
‘I think when you see this stuff it’s not going to be that earth shattering. It’s more of a historical nature than anything substantive,? he said. ‘It basically shows you how we got to where we are and where we are is a process that’s going forward and is going to be very public.?