Strongsville voters to determine future of townhomes-retail project at Ohio 82 and Prospect Road – cleveland.com

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- Voters will decide in November whether a Strongsville developer can move forward with plans for a 32-acre townhome-retail development at the southeast corner of Ohio 82 and Prospect Road.

On July 6, City Council voted unanimously and without comment to place on the Nov. 2 ballot a rezoning that would make the project -- dubbed Camden Woods -- possible. The ballot issue must pass both citywide and in Ward 4, where the 32 acres are located, for the rezoning to take effect.

Cameron-Allie Development Group LLC, led by longtime Strongsville developer Mike Catanzarite and his son Nick Catanzarite, needs voters to rezone the land from a single-family district to local business and townhome cluster districts. Under city code, any rezoning of single-family residential lots must go to the ballot.

At a June 21 public hearing about the proposed rezoning, residents living near the Ohio 82-Prospect corner expressed concerns about how the development might increase traffic, worsen flooding and affect the environment, according to a meeting transcript.

David Cassel, who lives on Windsor Castle Lane just south of the proposed development, asked whether the Ohio EPA has determined how the townhome construction would impact the area environmentally. He also asked how much greenery the developer would remove.

We have some very nice, large trees behind us and across the way, and aesthetically its nice, Cassell said. It keeps our property value where it is and its one of the reasons why I moved in.

Cassell asked how many traffic lights would be added to the Ohio 82-Prospect area due to the development.

We have troubles with traffic here in Strongsville just to begin with -- rush hour in the morning and then in the afternoon, Cassell said. We have a lot of trouble on Prospect Road sometimes.

Shirley Colbert, who lives on Prospect across from the proposed townhome site, asked city officials if they would widen the street due to the development and take some of her property to do so.

Are we going to have a sewer and water problem? Colbert asked. Are you going to put in new pipes for us, or how is that going to work?

Gregory Golonka of Regency Drive, which is south of Ohio 82-Prospect, asked why anyone even had to develop the 32 acres.

I ... can probably live with it if there wasnt 144 units going into this small spot, Golonka said. I think if it was toned down ... a third or something like that, maybe its livable.

Patricia Basalla of Windsor Castle said her back yard is within 100 feet of the proposed development. She expressed concern about Baker Creek, which runs between the site targeted for rezoning and existing homes to the south.

This creek ... is a wetland and it does more than provide for wildlife, Basalla said. It prevents flooding. Now, the flooding wont affect me personally, because I live up on a hill, but if you go further down, if the wetland is destroyed, the possibility of flooding definitely exists.

Regarding traffic, Basalla said the development would add at least 100 cars traveling through the Ohio 82-Prospect area.

Im very concerned about the traffic, Basalla said.

Bernice Piazza of Prospect said she didnt understand why Catanzarites plan showed two new driveways into the development off Prospect -- a two-lane road -- and only one off Ohio 82, a four-lane highway.

Quite a few neighbors are really upset about this, Piazza said.

Council President Matt Schonhut said the Strongsville Planning Commission would address all of these questions, but only after voters decide whether to rezone the land.

If it does pass the city and ward, then, at that point, the city engineers, planners (and) Building Department will sit down and address all those issues and concerns about traffic, flooding, sewers (and whether) the road (will) be widened, Schonhut said.

Clubhouse, patios, walking paths

Cameron-Allie would build more than 30 townhome buildings, each with four living units, and a single commercial building fronting the corner of Ohio 82 and Prospect.

The site now consists of 12 lots, all zoned for single-family homes. According to the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office website, four of the lots are vacant and eight contain homes -- including three Cape Cods, two ranches, one bungalow, one colonial and one split-level.

By acreage, however, most of the land is vacant. About 20 of the 32 acres are undeveloped.

Nick Catanzarite told cleveland.com that Cameron-Allie has all the parcels under contract. To make the land deals, Cameron-Allie formed a limited liability company called Royalton Acquisition LLC, which, according to the Ohio Secretary of States website, was formed in March.

Catanzarite said most of the eight existing homes are rentals, but he didnt say how many if any of the homes are occupied.

Catanzarite said his firm has not yet signed a tenant for the commercial building, which would take up 2.5 acres at the very corner of Ohio 82 and Prospect, but some businesses have expressed strong interest in the site.

Catanzarite told cleveland.com that Camden Woods would consist of 140 luxury townhomes, both ranch and two-story, within more than 30 buildings. The townhomes would take up about 23 acres.

About 7 acres would be preserved and used as a natural landscape buffer for the existing Sterling Point and Crystal Creek subdivisions to the south and east, respectively.

Catanzarite said the townhomes would include open floor plans, tall ceilings, attached garages, high-end finishes, patios, landscaping and a clubhouse that will be second to none, featuring a pool, fitness center, shared work space, golf simulator and other amenities.

At the June 21 hearing, Catanzarite said the townhomes would measure between 1,100 and 1,600 square feet and would have two or three bedrooms, attached garages and patios. The development would include walking paths.

Catanzarite said several commercial projects have been proposed for the Ohio 82-Prospect corner over the years. These have included a Discount Drug Mart about five to six years ago, but voters rejected a rezoning in that case. Other proposals have included grocery stores, and a hotel was once rumored.

We spent a lot of time with (city Planner) George (Smerigan) and the administration trying to decide what is the best use for this property, Catanzarite said. Is it commercial or residential? We came to the conclusion, with the support of the city, that a residential use is the best use for this property.

Catanzarite said the townhome development would allow people who cant afford a single-family home in Strongsville to move here.

Lets give people what they want, Catanzarite said. Lets add a product type that doesnt exist in the city.

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Strongsville voters to determine future of townhomes-retail project at Ohio 82 and Prospect Road - cleveland.com