The Miami County Planning Commission recommended denial, by a 4-1 vote, of a rezoning request (25001-Z, “Wildlife Ridge”) to change roughly 115 acres northwest of the K‑68/Lookout Road area from the Countryside District to the R‑1 Rural Residential District. County planning staff and dozens of neighbors focused discussion on road safety, stormwater and water/fire-flow capacity.

Kenny Cook, Miami County planning director, told the commission the application is a rezoning request only; the concept plan submitted is illustrative and any subdivision would later require a preliminary and final plat with full engineering. Cook summarized staff review: at maximum density R‑1 permits one dwelling per five acres, which on a 115-acre parcel yields a theoretical maximum of about 23 dwellings; the county’s conservation-design subdivision rules would also require 30% of the developable area be placed in common open space. Cook warned that Lookout Road “does not meet our current standard” and that Road & Bridge would require a paved 24-foot roadbed and typical cross-section for subdivision access. He said Rural Water District No. 2 indicated there is potable water in the area but that current supply did not meet fire‑flow (1,000 gallons per minute) requirements without upgrades; hydrants and related infrastructure would be required by subdivision standards.

Applicant Mike Page (Page Enterprise) said his team is evaluating feasibility, including water-district upgrades and multiple possible access options. Page said the developer has considered tapping a 6-inch line and noted discussions about future upgrades but said detailed engineering would follow only if zoning is secured.

More than two dozen members of the public spoke during the hearing. Speakers included long-time Lookout Road residents, several emergency responders and others who described repeated road-washouts, constrained sight-lines at the K‑68/Lookout intersection, narrow lanes and a history of stuck vehicles during inclement weather. Public commenters repeatedly said Lookout Road is unsafe as-is and warned that paving and widening could make the route a faster thoroughfare to Hillsdale Lake, increasing heavy recreational traffic; concerns about runoff, subsurface rock and septic capacity also were raised. Dennis Koslow, a firefighter, told the commission the road is “extremely dangerous” and said weather can leave the road impassible for days; other residents described culvert and drainage issues and urged denial.

Commissioners debated whether the property must remain Countryside or be rezoned, whether the parcel could still be developed under existing Countryside density (10-acre density) and whether required road and water upgrades can be guaranteed if the property is rezoned. Staff stressed that rezoning alone does not authorize platting and that any subdivision plat would itself require demonstration that roads, water and stormwater systems meet county standards before approval.

A commissioner moved to deny the rezoning request; a second followed. The motion to deny carried 4-1. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners; the planning director noted the formal two‑week protest period following the close of the public hearing and outlined the process for protest petitions to the clerk’s office. The recommendation will be heard by the Board of County Commissioners at its Aug. 27, 2025 meeting.

Why it matters: Rezoning this parcel to R‑1 would increase theoretical density and trigger infrastructure requirements (paved access, hydrants/fire flow, engineered stormwater and septic design). Neighbors and emergency responders argued Lookout Road cannot safely serve the proposed density and questioned whether water and drainage infrastructure could be secured. The commission’s denial recommendation does not prohibit future development under current zoning, but it sends the matter to the County Commissioners and signals substantive unresolved infrastructure concerns.

Ending: The Planning Commission’s 4-1 recommendation of denial will be considered by the Board of County Commissioners. If the applicant seeks approval there, the Board will need to weigh infrastructure requirements and public safety concerns raised repeatedly by residents and staff.