PERRYSBURG, Ohio — Perrysburg City Council on Tuesday approved the downsizing of a planned residential development in the city due to concerns about the population growing too fast for the school district.
The development at Harbor Town Place, just off state Route 25, was approved more than a decade ago. Originally, Ridge Stone Developers planned to build a three-story apartment complex, with two and three-bedroom units.
However, community concerns caused the developer to rethink its plan and shrink the complex by 15 units and bring them all onto one floor. Storage units were also removed from the development's plans.
"Everyone thinks growth is great, but it's not great unless you have a plan," Perrysburg parent Dave Baz said at the city council meeting.
He urged council to vote against the development altogether, saying his son told him the school was overcrowded.
"When the bell rang, and kids went to their other classrooms and everything, that it was actually a little scary, it was a little rough, that the hallways are so overcrowded," Baz said.
Brian Gruber, owner of Ridge Stone, doesn't think Harbor Town Place will contribute much to the school district's size, though.
"Because they're two-bedroom and two-bath, we do believe they are more desirable for seniors and young professionals," he said. "We think that will be helpful to not attract a lot of kids for the schools."
Council member Tim McCarthy, who chairs the planning and zoning committee, says Perrysburg's local government is scrutinizing any developers looking to build in the city.
"If you came into the city tomorrow with a multi-family plan, I think we'd be looking very critically at it," he said.
With overcrowding in the schools, developers field a wide variety of questions, McCarthy said.
"If you're attracting a senior housing market, prove to us that that's going to be the case and it's going to play out that way when the units are officially filled," he said.
Baz, who's watched as voters reject multiple recent school levies meant to solve the overcrowding problem, is not convinced by Gruber's assurances.
"While it's a step in the right direction, it still doesn't solve the problem," Baz said.
WTOL 11 does not yet have confirmation on when construction on the development will start.