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Resident to buy parcel to open shooting range
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - August 02, 2012)
Resident to buy parcel to open shooting range
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
A deal came together Monday for Newbury Township Trustees and a prospective buyer interested in township-owned property.
Trustees and Newbury Township resident Jodie Swartwout came to agreement on terms for a 10.8-acre parcel, formerly known as Grange Park.
The two sides agreed on a final price of $155,200 for the property off Kinsman Road (Route 87). The deal was made contingent on Mrs. Swartwout obtaining all of the necessary permits for building a shooting range on the property. Those approvals include an OK from the township’s zoning board of appeals for a use variance because zoning doesn’t allow for shooting ranges.
Trustees will have the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office review the contract before giving final approval.
“I’m very satisfied,” Trustee William Skomrock said. “It’s a win-win, not only for our tax base, but the buyer as well.”
The two sides met in early July to discuss the possible sale of the property, but failed to reach an agreement on the price. Mrs. Swartwout offered the township $139,500 for the property, while the trustees sought $165,000.
Trustees, after meeting behind closed doors, reduced the price to $160,000, but Mrs. Swartwout held fast to the $139,500 offer. Trustees reduced the price to $156,000 Monday at the suggestion of Mrs. Swartwout. She said that figure was halfway between her appraisal and one cited by the township.
Mrs. Swartwout said she also wanted control of an easement on the property held by the township, which the township agreed to relinquish. “No easement, no nothing,” she said.
The latest offer was in the acceptable range for the township, which sought to come as close as possible to the appraisal price, Mr. Skomrock said. The offer was within 96.5 percent of the appraisal price.
“That’s pretty decent,” he said.
Trustees also agreed to adjust and fill in around a culvert on the property as part of the deal.
Trustee Jan Blair indicated the deal will become “null and void” if Mrs. Swartwout fails to secure the necessary approvals for building a shooting range there.
The business already may have its first customer. Geauga County Sheriff Daniel McClelland toured the property and said it would be the “perfect spot” for a shooting range, said Mrs. Swartwout, adding the sheriff told her he would contract for use of the facility when it’s built.
Trustee Glen Quigley said Mrs. Swartwout previously obtained approval for a shooting range on property near Ravenna (Route 44) and Kinsman (Route 87) roads. That approval, however, is not transferable to the new property, he said, and she will have to go through the process again.
Mr. Quigley sees the sale is a positive step for the township. “We’re moving forward,” he said. “We took an asset and turned it into cash.”
The township plans to use sale proceeds to establish a maintenance fund for the township’s Oberland Park off Auburn Road, Mr. Skomrock said.
The county auditor has estimated that the business could generate as much as $20,000 a year in additional tax revenues for the county, the school and the township, Mrs. Blair said.
The shooting range is a $2 million project that is expected to employ a minimum of 30 people, Mrs. Swartwout said.
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