Council OKs zoning code amendment

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By Amantha Garpiel

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TIPP CITY — The Tipp City City Council approved an ordinance to amend the zoning code for four parcels of land located at 30 German St., Tipp City, from an R-2, two-family residential to a R-3, multi-family residential.

The amendment to the zoning code was requested by the owner of the land, Brian Mosier, of Tipp City, and comes to City Council with a positive endorsement from the city’s Planning Board. Mosier has current plans to build one building of three attached homes on the property with the potential for future additional buildings.

Numerous citizens, mostly who live in the homes surrounding the property, came out to the meeting to express their concerns with the zoning change and what it could mean for the neighborhood.

The main concerns raised during the council meeting on Monday, May 15, was about the increased traffic on Elm Street, which many current residents use to access their garages, and the increased traffic. Concerns were raised for residents’ children who play in the backyards that run up to the road. Another concern is for the amount of space on the property. Many of the individuals who attended the meeting felt as if the property is not large enough for any sort of multi-family dwelling and think apartments of any kind will ruin the over 100-year-old neighborhood’s appearance.

The property’s proximity to the railroad track and potential issues with finding quality renters due to the tracks being so close was also a concern for many community members.

A few residents showed support for Mosier and his plans for the property during the public hearing at Monday’s meeting, expressing that change is necessary and inevitable and that Mosier has previously done great work in the city. Community members also noted the economic benefits the additional families would bring to Tipp City.

Following the public hearing, Council member Ryan Liddy expressed his opinion on the matter.

“Mr. Mosier has been a pillar in the community when it comes to building houses here. Just look at the residential house on Main Street that he’s building, he does nothing but good things for Tipp City,” said Liddy. “So, when he says this isn’t going to be section 8 housing, when he says that he’s going to build it in a way that is safe, I’m going to put some weight in that, because he has a reputation here that I think council should take into consideration. If this was somebody that we had no idea how they were going to build, I might think otherwise, but at this time I’m going to put some weight in Mr. Mosier’s comments.”

“I’ve driven past there, I passed when they were tearing down what was left on that lot and the proximity to the railroad, and right now it’s between 25 and 30 trains a day in a 24 hour period, and if we allow something like this to go in, the phone’s going to ring off the hook with complaints about train noise,” said Mayor Mike McFarland. “The people that already live down there know it’s there, put up with it and they’re in single-family housing. To me, agreeing with Mr. Kessler, this is spot zoning and I can’t see putting multi-units that close to the railroad with the reputations the railroads are having with safety factors. I will be voting against this tonight.”

Council member Joanna Pittenger expressed her agreement with McFarland and also voted against the ordinance.

The ordinance passed with a 5-2 vote and the parcels of land at 30 German St. will be re-zoned as multi-family residential.

Council moved on to approve two ordinances pertaining to the water and sewer rates for residents in Tipp City. Each amendment, one for the water rates and regulations and another for the sewer rates and regulations, removes the multi-unit multiplier and raises citizens’ rates by 1% to cover the loss of revenue. Both ordinances were passed unanimously by council.

In other business:

• Council passed a resolution approving the City Manager Timothy Eggleston to enter into a construction agreement for the fourth phase of the Fieldstone Place Planned Residential Development Subdivision. The fourth phase, similar to the first three, includes 15 parcels on 4.6 acres and will have 12 single-family homes and three parcels of green space.

• Passed a resolution to approve a loan from the city of Tipp City to the Community Improvement Corporation of Tipp City to be used for economic development such as the development or redevelopment of property, purchasing property, equipment, facilities improvements, buildings and structures within corporate limits.

• OK’d a resolution to transfer $100,000 fromt the city of Tipp City to the Community Improvement Corporation to be used for hiring a firm for a plan for the developing and/or redeveloping the uptown area.

• Approved a resolution allowing Eggleston to enter into a contract with O.R. Colon of Cincinnati for right-of-way acquisition services for the industrial sewer project at a cost of $60,360.

• Heared an ordinance approving the final plan/plat for the Fieldstone Place Subdivision Phase Four.

• Council passed three motions setting June 19 as the public hearing date for the rezoning of three Miami County parcels on North Hyatt Street.

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