Action to vacate dedicate roads could come next month
One of three Bellefontaine Planning Commission recommendations received a first reading at Tuesday’s Bellefontaine Council meeting while the other two will be introduced next month.
Gray Gables Investments LLC of Bellefontaine is asking the city to rezone 2220 and 2250 S. Main St. from a B-3 (general business) district to an M-1 (light manufacturing) district.
Nate Hauck, who represented both Gray Gables and PowerBuilt, which occupies 2220 S. Main, said the companies sought a temporary rezoning exemption several years ago to move quickly to purchase and develop the property.
“It’s given us time to prove our manufacturing processes are non-invasive to the area,” he said. “It’s apparent more people think we’re a fitness gym rather than a manufacturing facility.”
Bellefontaine Grace Church occupies 2250 S. Main, and it operations are permissible in an M-1.
The rezoning request was recommended by the planning commission and council member concurred, voting 7-0 on the first reading.
The commission also recommended that the council act to abandon as city right-of-ways county roads 283 and 284 which city leaders view as access drives to Logan County property from State Route 47 and County Road 32.
The Logan County Board of Commissioners voted to dedicate the drives as public roads just before 40 acres were annexed into the city more than 20 years ago.
The Logan County Sheriff’s Office, Logan County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Logan County Children’s Services and other government entities are located within the area, and therefore, subject to city income tax withholding.
C.R. 284 connects with S.R. 47 and encircles the building housing Children’s Services while C.R. 283 connects C.R. 32 and 284.
Commissioner Paul Benedetti represented the current commissioners during the public hearing prior to the regular session. He said the commissioners believes the city should continue to maintain the drive.
C.R. 238 provides an alternate route via a gravel drive to the jail complex when C.R. 32 floods, he noted, and the county’s employees as taxpayers deserve to receive services from the city.
City Engineer Tim Notestine told council members the county had to annex the property to add water and sewer services to the jail complex and obtain in-city utility rates for the existing county facilities along S.R. 47.
Bellefontaine went further in the agreement and extended the city rates for water and sewer service to county’s one-stop shop at county roads 32 and 13 and to Logan Acres on County Road 91.
“That has resulted in at least a $300,000 savings in water and sewer bills just at Logan Acres,” Notestine said.
As for the county road 283 and 284, neither would meet current city or county standards for a road, he said. Neither road was mentioned in the legal description of the property when it was annexed, he added.
The planning commission’s third recommendation urges the council to vacate an east/west alley through a 10-lot area near Ratleff Park.
Eight of the lots are owned by Harold Brown, Notestine said, and there is no reason to keep the alley right-of-way through the undeveloped area.
