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City to build fence, fortify its resolve
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - January 18, 2012)
City to build fence, fortify its resolve
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Chardon city planners gave their OK Monday to a change of plans for the service garage complex, despite one resident's request to delay any further action on the project.
The planning commission voted unanimously to grant a height variance for a fence along the western edge of the 8.46-acre site slated for the complex on North Hambden Street. The 16-foot-high fence exceeds the city's 6-foot height maximum.
North Hambden Street resident Thomas Cole asked the commission to delay any action on the matter until an appeal filed by residents surrounding the proposed complex is resolved.
"Our hope is this project would be abandoned," Mr. Cole said.
If residents are successful in their appeal, he said, the city will have spent the money in vain. "Whether it's $46,000 or $10, there may be a cancellation of the project," he said. "If that happens and the fence goes up, that's $46,000 wasted."
He said the city's goal should be to save taxpayers' money as much as possible and pointed to a alternative proposal suggested by residents opposed to the project.
Residents have said a fairly new building along Center Street (Route 44) could have been purchased by the city for $1.5 million and renovated for about $2.3 million. They said that $3.8 million price tag is less than the total estimated cost of the proposed complex, including interest expenses, of $6.7 million.
Chardon Law Director James Gillette said the citizens' appeal of the project's approval has no bearing on the city's ability to move ahead. "It has no effect whatsoever on the city's ability to proceed with this project." He said it's up to city officials to decide whether the project should be put on hold.
The commission also approved an amended concept plan for the project.
Commission member Andrew Blackley was the only dissenter, which was consistent with his initial dissenting votes on the project in December. He said at that time the city's definition of the project as a public safety facility does not fit what the project actually is.
The city initially planned for landscape screening along the western boundary of the property, but City Council decided at a special meeting that the fence makes better sense and is less costly.
City Engineer Douglas Courtney said the 16-foot-high fence could be put up before any heavy construction begins on the site, providing screening and better security. In addition, the fence allows the city to preserve about one-third of an acre of trees on the property, which also will reduce storm-water runoff costs, he said.
The switch reduced the cost of planned screening from an estimated $87,000 to $46,000, Mr. Courtney said.
The fence is planned to be an extension of a 16-foot-high fence along the border of the Rocky Cellars subdivision that lies north of the city-owned property. The city has proposed repairing the private fence, as well as extending it south for the screening.
Mr. Blackley questioned whether the city could spend public dollars on private property to repair the fence.
Mr. Gillette said the responsibility for maintaining the private fence was supposed to fall to a homeowners association within the Rocky Cellars subdivision, but the association was never formed.
He said the city could obtain an easement or a fee simple title to perform the repair work.
Mr. Courtney said he was consulting with a fence contractor this week to determine the best materials for repair and installation of the new fence to avoid the problems encountered in the Rocky Cellars subdivision.
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