City officials sent a developer proposing construction of 129 homes on 48 acres on the south side of Springboro back to the drawing board.
City staff and the local planning commission told representatives from Hills Land & Development last week, the developer needed to put together a new plan for the entire development, rather than propose addition of a new section to an approved plan for more than 28 acres of the land off Factory Road.
On Friday, Jim Obert, a vice president for Hills, said he and staff were reviewing the commission’s recommendations on steps that need to be taken for the development to win approval in Springboro, Clearcreek Twp. and from the Springboro Cemetery Association.
The new plan would allow land off Factory Road, known as the Swope and Wade properties, to be developed without a bridge over Twin Creek estimated to cost as much as $900,000.
“The main reason the Swope property has not been developed is the bridge,” Obert said during a planning commission Wednesday. “Other than that, we are landlocked.”
Hills, which has owned the 28.7-acre Swope property at 45 Factory Rd. since 2002, wanted the city to agree to accept a route through the Springboro Cemetery as the emergency secondary access to the development. He said he had agreement from cemetery trustees on use of the route for emergencies only.
The main access to the development would be onto Factory Road at Catalpa Drive. Hills also proposed adding the 19.6-acre Wade property at 2515 Factory to the development with a density allowing 129 homes.
The property to be added is still owned by Sandy Wray, Dan and Ann Wade. They authorized Obert to speak for them about the proposed development at the meeting last week at Springboro City Hall.
Among other things, city officials noted the new plan called for higher densities and less green space than is permitted in an annexation agreement between Springboro and Clearcreek Twp. on the rear 10.5 acres of the Swope property.
“We’re sorting through what they said. We haven’t made our decision yet,” Obert said Friday.
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