PERRYSBURG, Ohio — New answers in controversy in Wood County.
For months, people living in Perrysburg Heights have been concerned the city was out to change the character of their neighborhood.
On Tuesday night, the city formally voted on its future.
Those who live in the Heights say they are happy and thankful nothing will change with their neighborhood.
But they were stressed coming into Tuesday's meeting, concerned about potential zoning changes that would essentially push them out of their homes.
"They've not only been dealing with this for over a year," Community Heights board member Paul Belazis said, "but it was a source, it upended an awful lot of people's lives, it was a source of great anxiety."
After more than a year of planning, changes, and community pushback, people who live in the Perrysburg Heights neighborhood can say their hard work has paid off.
"It was a difficult process and I know there were a lot of people who were very passionate about their opinions but I think that in the end, we got a good result that listened to what the residents wanted it was approved by the entire council," Perrysburg Mayor Tom Mackin said.
Perrysburg City Council approved a land-use plan with changes that keep the heights neighborhood zoning the way it currently is: residential.
But the initial proposal would have meant big changes.
"They're very excited they get to continue their legacies there," Perrysburg Heights community leader Leah Delao said. "In saying that, a lot of these people tend to pass down their homes to a lot of their family members, so to be able to do that and know that all your hard work is something that's not gonna be taken away from you, that's an amazing feeling."
Now, they're breathing a sigh of relief because the Perrysburg Heights area will become a "legacy neighborhood" and its legacy will remain intact.
"We've still got a lot of work to do. We need to now have conversations with [Perrysburg] Township, we need to get a development plan put in place with them and then execute that with them fairly quickly," Delao said.
The meeting didn't just decide the future of Perrysburg Heights.
The plan includes more parks, walking and bike trails. It also includes plans for moderately-priced apartments and paving the way for more growth in Perrysburg.