Residents press Norton City Council over Reimer Road rezoning; developer seeks 100-lot subdivision

Norton City Council opened a public hearing April 21 on an ordinance to rezone three parcels on Reimer Road (permanent parcel numbers 4607487, 4608956 and 4604611) from RU-1 to R-3 with an RPC overlay, a change the applicant said is needed to build about 100 single-family lots on roughly 50 acres.

The applicant’s representative, Dan Steiger of Contract Consultants, told the council the company is under contract with the landowner JLP Development and that the plan would include both 75-foot and 60-foot lots. “The desire of the applicant is to develop 100 lots on the 50 acres,” Steiger said, adding the developer expects base home prices “probably start in the low 400s and upwards in terms of base price based on today's markets.”

Neighbors who spoke said the proposal, as drawn, raises multiple environmental and infrastructure concerns. “I urge Council to vote against this plan with the RPC zoning,” said resident Rebecca Kuzmic, who described natural springs, deep ravines and a roughly 70-foot elevation drop across the site and said two-thirds of the proposed lots do not meet R-3 standards.

June Guzzo, who lives adjacent to parts of the property, said runoff from disturbance of the site floods Van Heining Run and her back acreage, and she questioned how engineering would prevent harm to downstream properties. “What is the engineering? What is the plan to be able to redirect this water without others suffering the consequences of disturbing that land?” Guzzo asked.

Other public speakers raised related issues. Ruth Duff said she was worried about potential sewer tie-in costs for homes on nearby Wadsworth Road; Nick Dieter said public safety and city services could be strained if many new houses are added.

Council members pressed the applicant and staff for more information. Several councilors asked for a clear stormwater plan, floodplain mapping and details about whether existing ponds or spring-fed water features would be altered. City staff said the rezoning request is only one step and that engineering and improvement plans must follow. “We don't have a grading plan. I don't know what the plan is,” City Engineer Bensley said when asked whether a spring or pond would be moved; he added that natural waters and wetlands are regulated and any work would require federal and state permits. “Natural waters are regulated by the Army Corps of Engineers,” Bensley told the council.

Council members emphasized that any final layout, grading, stormwater controls and utility plans would return to the planning commission and council for review. City staff and the applicant repeatedly said the project must comply with Ohio EPA, county soil-and-water and federal permitting regimes for any wetlands or stream impacts.

The public hearing was closed after more than an hour of testimony. The council did not take a final vote on the rezoning at the April 21 meeting; staff said subsequent steps will include Planning Commission review of a final plat, engineering plan reviews, and separate development agreements addressing sewer construction and other improvements. Earlier in the evening the council moved a related preliminary-plat ordinance (Ordinance 43-2025) to the agenda for a first reading; that motion passed by roll call.

Why it matters: The parcels lie uphill of established neighborhoods along Reimer Road and Wadsworth Road and drain to Van Heining Run. Neighbors and some council members said the combination of steep topography, springs and existing floodplain mapping makes stormwater controls and sewer-connection plans central to whether development will proceed without creating downstream impacts or unexpected costs for current residents.

Next steps: Council directed staff to provide clearer floodplain boundaries and stormwater/grading details before further action; the applicant said engineering and permitting are still at the preliminary stage and that detailed plans and any construction agreements will return to council for approval.

Votes and formal actions during the meeting related to this subject included moving the preliminary-plat ordinance (Ordinance 43-2025) to the agenda for first reading; that motion carried on a roll-call vote.