Hamilton Township hearing draws residents’ objections to proposed 48-unit condominium rezoning on State Route 48

Hamilton Township trustees heard more than an hour of testimony on a Stage 1 rezoning request for 8.088 of a 9.8267-acre parcel on State Route 48 that would change the site from M-2 heavy industry to R-3 multifamily and authorize a planned unit development of 48 condominium units.

Staff planner Kathy Walton told the board the property (owner: Martin Landig Holding Investments; applicant: Darren Backstrom) was the subject of required legal notice and that the township zoning commission recommended approval with standard partner-agency conditions while the Warren County Regional Planning Commission executive committee recommended denial because the parcel remains designated for industrial uses on the township’s future land use map.

The applicant’s representative, developer Dave Froelker, described a concept of six buildings with a mix of one- to three-bedroom units, a detention pond to address runoff, a private roadway (to be called Brentwood) and an owners’ association. Froelker said the units would be sold rather than rented and estimated a starting price around $300,000.

Residents who live where the condo project would back up to existing yards spoke in opposition, focusing on traffic and safety. Mike Woodward, who lives in the Cross Creek subdivision, told trustees the neighborhood was built for 101 single-family homes and that the addition of 48 condominiums—he estimated roughly 96 additional cars—would worsen morning backups at the four-way stop on SR 48 and create conditions unsafe for school buses, walkers and children. "It's gonna be a mess," Woodward said. Robert Richter and Brenda McAfee echoed those concerns and asked why the county body had recommended denial; staff responded that county planners cited inconsistency with the township’s future land use map.

Trustees asked technical questions about parking, connectivity and traffic studies. Staff and trustees emphasized this was a Stage 1 (concept) review; additional steps would be required if the board chose to advance the application, including detailed engineering, potential traffic studies and partner-agency approvals. Several trustees expressed concern about single-point access through an existing subdivision, emergency-vehicle access and the precedent a zoning change could set for adjacent acreage.

The chair moved to approve Resolution 26-0107A, a resolution approving a PUD Stage 1 concept plan for the 8.088-acre portion of the parcel. A trustee seconded and a roll-call exchange is recorded in the transcript showing at least three trustees voting "No." The transcript does not contain a clear, complete final tally or an explicit announcement of the motion’s final disposition in the public record.

The public hearing was closed and the trustees proceeded to other items on the agenda. Staff repeatedly noted that, if the board were to act favorably, final approval would require submission of additional studies and plans and satisfaction of partner-agency conditions.

Next steps: if trustees take formal action on the rezoning at a later meeting, additional technical materials (site plans, traffic analyses, engineering) and partner-agency signoffs would be required before any final change of zoning or building permits could be issued.