Planning commission approves 66.75‑acre Berlin Station RPUD after residents raise drainage, traffic and buffer concerns

The Delaware City Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of RPUD25‑11, a request by Berlin Station Road, LTD to rezone about 66.75 acres east of Berlin Station Road to Residential Planned Unit Development (RPUD). The commission made the recommendation at its Sept. 3 meeting and set the next step as a first reading at city council; council will set a public hearing for Sept. 22.

The request covers land that was annexed into the city in 2024 and lies within the Southeast Focus Area, sub‑area 1. Under the proposed RPUD the site would permit single‑family and two‑family residential uses and public or private recreational facilities. Staff said the maximum density allowed by the focus‑area guidance is 4 dwelling units per acre, and that actual buildout is likely to be lower. Planning staff recommended approval with conditions that include preserving existing good‑condition boundary trees, providing a mound and planting along the eastern railroad boundary, installing a 10‑foot multiuse path on Berlin Station Road, requiring five‑foot sidewalks on internal streets, and completing an approved traffic impact study (TIS) before any development plan is considered.

Why it matters: the parcel borders existing township residences and an active railroad; residents and commissioners focused on stormwater drainage, buffering, traffic safety and how annexation and sewer extension would affect neighbors and county infrastructure.

Residents who live adjacent to the proposed site urged the commission to press for clear protections before development proceeds. Dave Serfoss, who described his address as 1815 Berlin Station Road, told the commission his property floods every spring and asked planners to “please don’t make it worse” when designing detention and drainage. Mason Pillow, 1675 Berlin Station Road, said runoff to a dry creek behind his house is a concern and asked that the buffer tree line be preserved or supplemented. Dean Smith, 1631 Berlin Station Road, urged stronger traffic mitigation, saying local intersections already have safety problems and that road improvements promised previously have not materialized.

Planning staff and the applicant told the commission those concerns will be part of the zoning‑to‑development checklist. Staff reiterated that this is the zoning stage — not the development plan stage — and that detailed engineering for roads, stormwater and utilities will be addressed in later submissions. Staff said a TIS is already in progress and must be approved prior to a development plan. Staff also said the city will coordinate with the county and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) on any off‑site road improvements; the commission was told the roundabout at Berlin Station and Brumiller is a county project.

Staff and the applicant also described utility and drainage expectations: the Southeast Highland sewer runs along the railroad corridor near the site; water service is expected to be extended to the development edge; and any stormwater detention must be designed so post‑development discharge does not exceed pre‑development agricultural runoff rates. The applicant’s conceptual plan shows tree preservation areas along property boundaries and the staff‑recommended resolution requires working with the city arborist where tree lines are thin.

The commission approved the rezoning recommendation by voice vote (motion to approve by Commissioner Prowl; second by Councilman Hoffman). The case will appear for a first reading at city council on the following Monday; council will set a public hearing for Sept. 22. If council approves zoning, the project will return later as a development plan for detailed engineering, lot sizes, road cross sections and final stormwater design.

Votes at a glance

- RPUD25‑11 (Farms at Berlin Station, Berlin Station Road, LTD): Recommended for approval by the Planning Commission; motion by Commissioner Prowl, second by Councilman Hoffman; commission vote: unanimous recommendation to council. Public hearing at city council set for Sept. 22.

- MXPUD25‑12 (11 N. Franklin St., Helpline of Delaware and Morrow Counties): Planning Commission approved the rezoning request to MX PUD to permit mixed residential and commercial uses consistent with staff conditions; applicant and prospective purchaser spoke in support; commission approved by voice vote.

- PC25‑12 (Development plan, Kemba Financial Credit Union, Glenwood Commons/Glen Road & Sunbury Rd): Commission approved the development plan for a 2,700‑square‑foot credit union building with a two‑lane drive‑through and about 25 parking spaces; landscaping and lighting plans were reviewed and approved by staff; commission approval will proceed as a resolution to council.

- PC25‑13 (Conditional use, Louvada Ohio Inc., 2039 Pittsburgh Drive): Commission approved a conditional use to install an above‑ground liquid nitrogen tank at an existing industrial site, subject to fire‑department and state safety conditions and limited signage.

- S25‑11 (Final subdivision plat, Kroger, southeast corner of Glen Road and Sunbury Road): Commission approved the final plat required by the council ordinance for the Kroger property to show right‑of‑way and easements.

What the commission did not decide: none of the approvals granted final site engineering, building permits or detailed lot layouts. Those matters will be reviewed at later development‑plan, engineering and permitting stages; the commission emphasized that traffic mitigation, stormwater design and tree‑line buffers will be addressed in those later submittals.

Background and next steps: the commission and staff emphasized that rezoning and PUD approval are policy‑level decisions about allowable land uses and general development form. Detailed design work — final lots, roadway cross sections, stormwater calculations, and construction plans — must come at the development‑plan stage and receive separate staff and commission review. The Berlin Station rezoning goes to council for readings this month; members of the public will have the opportunity to testify at the council public hearing on Sept. 22.