NORTH BEND, Ohio — The village’s planning and zoning commission unanimously voted to deny a controversial housing development project in an area deemed high-risk for landslides.
The decision was reached after four and a half hours of testimony from attorneys and experts who testified development was possible and safe, as well as residents who expressed serious concerns about the potential for further land instability in the area.
The Glen Eagles subdivision plan proposed 24 two-unit buildings at the top of a currently tree-covered hill. It was being proposed by developer John Niehaus, who has built nearly three dozen developments over his 52-year career.
Attorney J.P. Burleigh, representing the developer, said the proposed development was significantly smaller than the original plan, which was proposed nearly three decades ago.
Watch the recap of the meeting here:
“What we're talking about is actually a reduction from what the village council has already deemed appropriate for this site,” Burleigh said.
A geotechnical expert, Joe Burkhardt of Consulting Services Incorporated (CSI), stated that given the presence of bedrock and recent soil test results, engineering would allow for the site to be built safely.
Councilmember Bev Bolser asked whether that “100% guarantee[s] that the hill will be stable?”
“There are no 100% guarantees,” Burkhardt said.
He then stated, in response to a question from Burleigh, that he believed there was no serious risk of slippage or shifting based on the plans.
“There are many citizens here who are rightfully concerned,” Burleigh said, addressing the emotional testimonies of residents.
“But those properties are not this one,” he said in a rebuttal to resident concerns, adding the developer team believed they had met the requirements for approval.
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After four hours of hearing from over a dozen people on both sides of the issue, the commission spent less than ten minutes deliberating their decision. The four members voted unanimously.
Bolser said the village could face a significant financial issue if a disaster happened anywhere on the hillside: “We are taking on all the risk.”
After the vote, residents cheered, high-fived and hugged.
That included Terry Snider, who has spent nearly six figures on repairs due to unstable ground.
“Why would we want to exacerbate? Why would you want to take that risk?” he questioned the commissioners earlier in the evening.
“Could you go to sleep at night and put your head on the pillow and think this was good for the community?”
The panel’s commission, by their vote, decided they could not.
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