by Eric Marotta
News Leader Editor
Boston Heights -- Developments planned for hundreds of acres in the Brandywine Creek watershed pose a threat to water quality in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, according to park Superintendent John Debo.
In a Feb. 2 letter to Boston Heights, Debo urged the village to reject a proposal to rezone 65 acres of the former Boston Hills Country Club from residential to commercial that would allow a retail center.
"We believe that this particular zoning change would be detrimental to the Brandywine Creek watershed and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park," Debo wrote.
In his letter to Boston Heights, Debo also recommended that Boston Heights, Hudson, Northfield Center and Macedonia coordinate their efforts and come up with a regional plan to preserve water quality in Brandywine Creek.
He called for a coordinated effort among the communities to protect about 800 acres of remaining open space, wetlands, floodplains and headwater streams by minimizing impervious surfaces such as asphalt, as well implementing stormwater management plans that would affect drainage into the creek.
The rezoning request for the former Boston Hills Country Club is being made by Boston Hills Property Investment LLC and Petros Homes, which also plans to build about 100 homes on the remaining 100 acres of the golf course, which closed last fall.
Sam Petros, of Petros Homes, did not return phone calls by press time.
Village Council has scheduled public hearings on the plan for March 14 and 28 at 7 p.m.
Debo noted that Northfield Center recently rejected American Dream Production's request to rezone from residential to commercial 50 acres near the golf course, just south of Twinsburg Road, while Boston Heights recently enacted rules prohibiting building immediately adjacent to wetlands and streams.
"We hope your Council continues this effort by rejecting this and other proposals to expand retail zoning acreage," he wrote.
Area officials say they have been taking steps to preserve water quality.
Hudson Community Development Director Tom King said the city would support a coalition of governments that would focus on the Brandywine Creek watershed.
"I feel we've got some pretty aggressive standards," he said, adding that since 1999, the city will only approve developments that do not produce new stormwater runoff -- the amount of runoff must be equal to, or less than, what the property produced in its natural state.
Boston Heights Council President Bill Goncy said the village created a "riparian setback" ordinance a year ago that prohibits building within 25 to 75 feet of streams and wetlands.
But new developments also bring in new tax dollars, and Goncy also said the village has to consider its economic well-being, too.
"If we don't look at that, the only way we have to maintain infrastructure in this village is to raise taxes," Goncy said.
In Northfield Center, Trustee Paul Buescher agreed with the idea of communities joining forces to oversee conservation efforts.
Referring to plans to develop a professional soccer stadium and retail complex in a 450-acre development zone on the east side of Route 8, Buescher said, "I don't really think there's been a comprehensive study on what will be lost there -- top quality wetlands."
Paul Garofolo, CEO of Wolstein Sports and Entertainment Group, which plans the stadium project, said plans are for 100 acres of the development area to be preserved.
"That's a pretty good conservation effort on our part," he said.
Macedonia Mayor Don Kuchta also said the city is working with the county on stormwater issues and noted he has also been in contact with MetroParks, Serving Summit County, to consider ways to add wetland areas along Route 8 to the park's holdings.
"This is always a concern, to conserve as much green space as possible," Kuchta said.
However, Kuchta said the city would not pay for any sort of conservation study, and noted that government's hands can be tied, as property owners are within their right to develop their property.
"The land owners still must have the ability to make profit and return on their investments," he said.
Debo said that recent floods in the park can be attributed to development surrounding the valley.
"We see the results of the continued development and hardening of the landscape," he said. "In the last four years, we have seen three significant flooding episodes costing a total of $6 million.
"What is happening is not really addressing the problem of stormwater management," he said.
E-mail: emarotta@recordpub.com
Phone: 440-232-4055 ext. 4103