ASHLAND — To rezone or not to rezone?
That’s the question Ashland City Council spent nearly an hour considering Tuesday during a public hearing aimed at farmland near Smith and Baney roads.
Nearly 60 acres of land could be developed into a two-unit condo neighborhood if council decides to change the zoning from RL-1 to RL-2.
But even if council decides to not rezone it, the land’s development is imminent, Mayor Matt Miller said.
His comment came toward the end of the hearing in which approximately 15 residents attended on Tuesday to air concerns and ask questions of Brandon Hunsinger, the man behind the rezone request and the owner of the land purchased in January 2021.
“People are waiting in the wakes,” Miller said, referencing developers he’s talked to with interested in building homes in the area.
On that land in particular, he said, there were buyers willing to pounce if the deal with Hunsinger fell through.
Hunsinger first approached the city’s planning commission in July. His request is to rezone 58 acres of farmland from RL-1 to RL-2. That change would allow him, through Hunsinger Builders LLC, to build up to 73 two-unit homes.
The land’s current zoning allows for the building of single family homes, which would allow him — or other developers — to construct 175 homes.
“We’re proposing — we’re applying to get an RL-2 zoning, which would allow us to build doubles, which would allow us to have approximately 146 homes. So significantly less than (what is) allowed in the current zoning,” the Mansfield native said.
The homes would likely be two-bedroom, two-bathroom units with an attached garage. Hunsinger said the homes would cost anywhere from $200,000 to $400,000. Aesthetically, the structures would be modeled after the Tower Lakes Luxury Condominiums in Mansfield. That neighborhood, located off Straub Road, began construction in the late 1990s and is currently home to around 200 units.
Hunsinger’s parents founded Hunsinger Builders LLC.
He said the owners would have a homeowners association to manage property maintenance and other amenities Tower Lakes has, such as a pond and sidewalks.
The property has wooded acreage, along with a creek, Hunsinger said. The developer said the neighborhood would not encroach on those natural features.
Residents who live along Smith and Baney roads shared concerns, including:
— the possibility of increased traffic at the four-way intersection.
— whether or not the developer would commit to building a privacy fence or other buffers between the neighborhood and existing property owners.
— whether the city’s wastewater treatment plant can handle the additional runoff.
As for traffic, Miller said the city does not have immediate plans to install a traffic signal at the intersection. He also said Smith Road is one of the city’s widest streets, allowing for a smooth flow of traffic.
The mayor said the neighborhood will most likely host older people, which would reduce the amount of traffic coming in and out of the development.
Hunsinger said he could not commit to building privacy fences or other buffers between the development and existing homeowners.
As for sewage, Miller said the city owns a 10-inch line along Baney Road that eventually turns into a 12-inch line.
“So we do believe there would be enough capacity to accommodate the use,” he said.
