By Andrea Cordle
Grove City Editor
Grove City Council has once again postponed voting on a rezoning and development plan for the Communities at Plum Run. The legislation will be back before council on April 3.
The development is located north of State Route 665 and east of State Route 104. The rezoning legislation changes the code from single family to planned unit development on 144 acres of land. Pulte Homes plans to build a residential subdivision that consists of 266 single family lots and 94 condominiums. The development plan also includes a multi-use path, open space, and a playground.
Action on both the rezoning and development plan have been postponed since November 2022 to give city officials and the developer time to meet with officials from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), as well as other entities, to address concerns regarding traffic along the state routes. Residents have told the council that traffic is already heavy along the roadways and a development of this size would just put more motorists on the road.
“We know traffic along the 104 and 665 corridor is going to increase with or without development due to warehouse development to the south,” said Grove City councilman Roby Schottke.
Schottke said the 665/104 intersection is not the jurisdiction of the city but said city leaders do not “want to kick the can down the road.”
“We need to do this now before anything else happens,” he said.
According to Kyle Rauch, the development director with Grove City, city officials met with ODOT representatives.
“We are trying to work with ODOT on a long-term solution,” said Rauch.
In the shorter term, Rauch said ODOT plans to focus on improvements near U.S Route 23 and State Route 762 near Commercial Point, as well as I-270 and 23 improvements. The thought is that once that area is upgraded, motorists would not need to utilize State Route 104 or 665 as much.
As part of the development plan, Pulte Homes will be required to make approximately $3 million in roadway improvements.
Rauch said the city is reviewing the feasibility of a right turn lane and left turn lane on eastbound State Route 665 to 104, as well as a right turn lane on the west side of the road. He said they are also looking at a right turn lane on 104 to kick drivers over to I-71.
These are possible solutions to help keep traffic flowing but city officials would still need to find funding sources. The added turn lanes would cost nearly $3 million. City officials are considering using tax increment financing funds to pay for the improvements.
Residents who live around the development have voiced their concerns to the council.
At a council meeting in February, John Riley addressed the council on behalf of many of the current residents in the area. He said they oppose this zoning change and development plan.
“We still feel traffic is a major issue that is not being properly addressed,” said Riley.
Riley said he would prefer to see the land developed as an expansion of Scioto Grove Metro Park.
