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Development in Chardon is 'down to nothing'
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - May 25, 2011)
Development in Chardon is 'down to nothing'
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Development in the city of Chardon has all but grinded to a halt since the nation's economy slowed two years ago.
"It's about as slow as I can remember," Kenneth Miller, chairman of the city's planning commission, said last week.
Mr. Miller, who has served as head of the commission for 25 years, said the lone major project since the start of the year has been a rehabilitation project planned for the former Chardon Rubber plant, now known as Chardon Custom Polymers, 373 Washington St.
"It's down to nothing," said Mr. Miller, who has served the city in some capacity since October 1972.
Last week, the commission wrapped up its meeting in 15 minutes after hearing a request to further extend the time for submitting construction drawings for a housing development and to hear an informal request for using a parking lot for storage space.
At the meeting, Mr. Miller said the extension on the development drawings is a reflection of the housing market at this time. Rather than provide the usual six-month extension, the city agreed to two years.
Mr. Miller said, although he hopes for the best, he doesn't believe the housing market will turn around for one to two more years.
The short meetings and even canceled ones have been the norm for the commission for some time now, Mr. Miller said.
"It's kind of a standing joke -- How short can we make it?" Mr. Miller said of the quick meetings that have characterized the commission since last year.
Most of the items that have come before the commission have been "routine things," such as for signs or a deck variance.
The last slowdown experienced by the then-village came in the 1980s, Mr. Miller said. But, even then, he said, there was some building going on. "The 80s were not exactly boom times," he said.
The city has seen some growth, such as the remodeling and opening of the Big Lots store in Maple Leaf Plaza, he said. A couple, like the New York Deli, have closed their doors.
But, for the most part, the economy has put the brakes on anything of significance, Mr. Miller said.
The slowdown follows one of the strongest growth periods the city has seen. Starting in the 1990s through the early 2000s, the city saw plans for hundreds of homes, including the Woods of Burlington and Bridgewater, and construction of the Meadowlands Shopping Center.
Mr. Miller called the Meadowlands development, that included Wal-Mart, a "big plus for development and a big plus for the city," although he was the target of much criticism over Wal-Mart coming in. He said he believed many have changed their mind about the big-box store, saying some of his "harshest critics have been seen shopping" there.
"Change is inevitable," Mr. Miller said. "What change needs is thoughtful guidance," he said.
But, he said, regardless of people's feelings on the matter, developers had the law on their side and the city could not stop the store from coming in.
In addition to the Hidden Glen housing development, the city heard from developers of 200 homes at the corner of Thwing and Wilson Mills roads and plans for cluster developments between Wilson Mills Road and Water Street (Route 6).
However, Mr. Miller said, plans for those homes are on hold for now.
Plans were also reviewed for additional shops across from the Meadowland Shopping Center, although there has been no movement on those plans, he said.
"Small business is in a bind, particularly retail," Mr. Miller said.
Mr. Miller said the city is not necessarily in need of more commercial development, as planning consultants have identified the city as being saturated with retail.
More critical is seeing the housing grow, he said. Upgrades to the city's waste-water treatment plant and water plant were dependent on the city seeing continued growth in the housing market, Mr. Miller said.
Projected growth was 50 new homes each year to meet the needs of the debt the city realized with the plant projects. However, new homes numbered about three or four last year.
Mr. Miller said the city needs to see 20 or more homes each year just to meet the principal on its loans. More are needed to pay down interest on the debt.
"It's been hanging over the fate of our little city for some time," he said.
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