Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Property Maintenance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council directs staff to review zoning, investigate ‘Rural King’ and Tall Timbers site after members call properties eyesores
Summary
Council discussed property‑maintenance concerns at Rural King, a hard‑fill site near Tall Timbers and gravel/rock tracked onto Taylorsville Road, asked staff to review zoning and property‑maintenance enforcement and noted Ohio EPA involvement for potential contamination.
Huber Heights City Council on Sept. 8 discussed complaints about property conditions at several commercial and private sites and directed staff to review zoning approvals, property‑maintenance enforcement and environmental monitoring.
The council’s discussion followed public remarks and a city‑manager report focused on a hard‑fill mound and gravel operations near Bridgewater Road and Old Troy Pike in Ward 1. City Manager John Russell said the site had been considered for federal purchase in the past and raised concern about proximity to the city’s well field, noting monitoring wells installed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency years ago. “They have allowed asphalt to be dumped into that thing. And asphalt is based by a groundwater contaminant, and that's within the parameters of our well field,” Russell said.
Council members repeatedly described the Rural King store’s outdoor sales and stacked materials as an eyesore and questioned whether prior planning‑commission approvals, variances or local management practices were responsible. Council members and staff noted the city had cited the property in the past, and temporary cleanups followed but the condition reappeared. The council asked staff to examine whether earlier approvals should have been treated differently and whether city code or the planning‑commission process should be changed as part of the ongoing zoning code rewrite.
Council also expressed concern about heavy gravel and rock being tracked from nearby operations onto Taylorsville Road and Riprap, creating safety and cleanliness issues. Staff noted the city had required developers and some operators to clean streets during construction and said the property‑maintenance code applies to both commercial and residential properties.
On environmental concerns, Russell said staff and the city are working with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency regarding the Tall Timbers site; he asked staff to confirm monitoring‑well status and the frequency of sampling near the well field. Council members agreed, with no recorded objections, to have city staff—specifically Chris (staff) and zoning personnel—review the Rural King approvals and Tall Timbers/Taylorsville issues and report back to council.
Why it matters: council members said the visible condition of major corridors and commercial properties affects the city’s image, property values and potentially groundwater protection near city wells; staff review could lead to citations, code changes or redevelopment actions.
Next steps: staff will review planning‑commission records and prior variances, coordinate with the Ohio EPA where contamination or landfill issues are suspected, and return to council with recommendations and potential enforcement or code‑change options. Council discussed using the pending zoning code rewrite to close gaps that allow nonconforming outdoor sales or prolonged accumulation of materials in public view.
