by Rachael Whitcomb
Associate Editor
Boston Heights -- Several residents in the village still are not happy about Council's decision last month to rezone a portion of the former Boston Heights Country Club for retail uses, and 178 signatures have been submitted to Village Hall to prove it.
Wellington Court resident Scott Foss said his goal was to gather enough signatures to get a referendum placed on the November ballot to reverse Council's April 11 decision to allow developers to build 66 acres of retail at the former 168-acre golf course.
Council President Pro Tem Bill Goncy defended Council's vote, saying the body has the responsibility to consider requests by all village property owners -- whether they are interested in residential or commercial uses.
Foss submitted 178 signatures to Village Hall May 7, 117 more than the required 61 needed to get the measure on the ballot. The signatures will be displayed at Village Hall until May 17, when village officials will send the signatures to the board of elections for verification.
"Residents were very willing to sign the petition," Foss said. "I didn't have anyone who didn't sign the petition who I approached."
Once the board of elections verifies the signatures, the petition will be returned to the village, which will then review the petitions before placing a referendum issue on the November ballot, according to election officials.
"Those people all have very strong feelings on the direction they would like to see the village go," Goncy said of the petition signers. "They would like to retain the rural atmosphere."
Goncy added that while he respects their opinions, the village must look for ways to support itself in the future.
"The traffic is already there," he said of the Route 8 corridor. "We as a community have to look at ways we're going to maintain ourselves over the years. This is a future area of hopeful income to support the community."
Goncy said no new development likely will occur before the Ohio Department of Transportation's reconstruction project on Route 8 is completed sometime in 2009.
He added, however, that development in the areas that Council's has approved will limit commercial activity to one area and maintain quiet neighborhoods in the rest of the village. The rezoned site in question, at Hines Hill Road and Route 8, already is surrounded by other commercial endeavors, he pointed out.
Council member Teri Slane, who voted against the rezoning April 11, said she fully supports the efforts of the residents.
"I think the residents know what way they want the community to go and Council needs to find a way to make that happen," Slane said. "It's not always easy."
Slane said she acknowledges the fact that the village needs to increase its tax base, but thinks there are other ways, adding the village did not conduct any studies that showed what the benefit and cost of additional development on Route 8 would be for the village.
E-mail: rwhitcomb@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3146