Traffic study still pending

VERMILION — A proposed 119-home subdivision off Forestview Drive moved another step forward Sept. 22 as the Vermilion Board of Zoning Appeals approved the use of the city’s cluster subdivision rules for the development.

The board also handled several residential variance requests during the meeting, including a disputed lakefront addition on Edgewater Drive that was scaled back after neighbors raised concerns.

Frontier Land Group is proposing the subdivision on about 53 acres zoned R-4 and R-4A. Mark Holtz, owner of Frontier Land Group, said the company develops residential properties and installs roads, utilities and other infrastructure before partnering with homebuilders.

Holtz said no builder has been selected for the Vermilion project.

The proposed development would contain 119 single-family lots, generally measuring about 56 feet by 130 feet. Holtz said homes are expected to range from about 1,200 to 2,400 square feet, with prices potentially starting in the mid-$300,000 range.

Using the cluster subdivision provisions allows lots to be reduced from the normal width while preserving more open space. Holtz said about 24 acres, or roughly 45% of the site, would remain open space, including much of the property’s wetlands and floodplain.

He said less than half an acre of wetlands would be affected under the current plan.

The smaller lots are also intended to reduce development costs and make the homes more affordable, Holtz said.

Traffic and flooding concerns

Much of the board’s discussion centered on traffic, drainage and access to the development.

The proposed subdivision currently has one established road connection through the surrounding neighborhood. Frontier is conducting a traffic study requested during the planning process, with Holtz saying results could be available within four to six weeks.

Board Chairman Derek Lundy said the lack of a completed traffic study prevented him from being comfortable voting on the request.

Lundy abstained from the vote, saying he wanted the most accurate information available before making a decision. The remaining board members approved the conditional use.

The development still faces additional city review. Holtz said the project must go before City Council and later return to the Planning Commission for final consideration. The traffic study is expected to be part of that review.

Russ Dickerhoff, a Hollyview Drive resident, raised concerns about flooding that has historically affected the neighborhood, the condition of surrounding roads and the amount of additional traffic the development could generate.

Dickerhoff also questioned how wetlands were being identified on the property and expressed concern about the drainage ditch behind homes in the area.

Holtz said Frontier has hired a wetlands consultant and submitted information to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He said the wetlands have been verified, although a final jurisdictional determination had not yet been received.

Holtz also said current stormwater regulations would require the development to collect and control runoff rather than simply allowing water to flow toward neighboring properties.

Frontier intends to examine an existing culvert and drainage conditions as engineering progresses, he said.

Road conditions would also be documented before construction begins. Holtz said Frontier typically works with local officials to establish a designated route for construction vehicles and compares road conditions before and after construction so damage can be addressed.

Construction could begin as early as summer 2027 if the project receives the remaining approvals.

Lakefront proposal scaled back

A separate request involving 3500 Edgewater Drive drew several written objections from nearby property owners.

Matthew Miller originally sought two variances connected to a proposed second-story addition and screened porch.

One would reduce a required 6-foot side-yard setback to 4 feet, 1 inch. The other would have reduced the required 30-foot rear setback to 15 feet, 2 inches, allowing the screened porch to extend farther toward Lake Erie.

Neighbors objected primarily to the rear-yard request, raising concerns about lake views, shoreline conditions, the size of the encroachment and construction near rock and backfill along the lake.

Miller told the board he did not realize the porch would create that level of concern and said he wanted to avoid creating problems with neighboring property owners.

After discussing alternatives with the board, Miller withdrew the rear-yard request and said he would remove the screened porch from the proposal.

The board approved the side-yard variance, allowing Miller to continue planning work involving the existing nonconforming side setback. Additional changes to the structure could still require review through the city’s building and zoning process.

Other variances approved

The board also approved several other requests.

Michael Koeth received a 4-foot rear-yard variance for property on Devonshire Road, allowing a prefabricated metal garage to sit 6 feet from the rear property line instead of the required 10 feet. Koeth said an existing garage foundation would be reused.

Trinity Contracting Group received a 3-foot side-yard variance for an addition on Ash Street, allowing a 4-foot setback where 7 feet is normally required.

The board also approved variances for work on a nonconforming cottage on Linden Street. The project includes an addition and requires a rear-yard setback of 6 feet instead of the required 30 feet.

For the Eagle View development near Liberty and Overlook, the board approved an 8-foot fence where 7 feet is normally permitted and allowed the finished side of the fence to face the development rather than the adjoining property.

The developer said the taller fence would help screen the neighboring automotive business and provide some reduction in noise while landscaping matures.

The Board of Zoning Appeals is scheduled to meet again at 6 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Vermilion Municipal Court Complex.