Kettering planning commission approves Dayton History use at 2185 Heritage Point with conditions

The Kettering Planning Commission on Dec. 2 approved a conditional-use permit allowing Dayton History to use 2185 Heritage Point Drive as a support facility for Carillon Historical Park, including artifact care, document archiving and photo digitizing.

City Planner Ryan Homsey told the commission the request is a reapplication of a permit that expired after construction did not begin within 365 days of a prior approval. Homsey said the site is owned by Dayton History and that, once renovations are complete, weekday vehicle traffic is expected to average no more than about 10 vehicles, the result of roughly five full-time curators and three to five volunteers on certain days.

Homsey walked the commission through site features, including a conceptual site-improvement plan showing lighting, landscaping and reconfigured parking islands. He flagged stormwater as a central technical issue: the lot contains a swale, catch basin and a 12-inch storm sewer that tie to pipes on Patterson; staff recommended a condition requiring the existing direction of stormwater flow be maintained or the system be made functional to prevent runoff onto neighboring properties.

Residents raised concerns during the public hearing. Brian Hart, who lives at 2035 Heritage Point Drive and identified himself as a Dayton History member, asked about long-term use of the adjacent house, pavement rehabilitation and whether non-Dayton History equipment or staging would be allowed. Tracy Gibson, who lives at 2110 Heritage Point Drive across the street, said she was worried about overflow parking during large events, pedestrian safety given nearby walkers and children, increased lighting shining into homes, on-street parking impacts and ongoing maintenance.

Applicant Brady Kress (Dayton History) said the long-term intent is to renovate the house for tenants, typically employees, and that the parking lot is in poor condition and will be improved but is expected to be used rarely. Kress said Dayton History does not intend to stage non-Dayton History equipment in the lot and that past temporary uses by contractors required a city temporary-use permit.

Staff recommended approval with conditions addressing buffering and screening, light fixture height and shielding, replacement of slow-growing boxwood shrubs with faster-growing evergreens, maintenance of stormwater flow and erosion-control requirements, submission and acceptance of a traffic-management plan prior to use of the lot as overflow parking, and a plan to prevent runoff if the retaining wall is removed. Commissioners added a final condition requiring installed parking-lot lighting to be capable of being turned off when the lot is not in use.

Commissioner Ken Lackey moved to approve the conditional-use permit (application received from John Roll, AIA, agent for the property owner), adopting the staff findings and conditions; Troy Irbis seconded. The roll-call vote recorded Ken Lackey, Carol Fisher, Troy Irbis, Ray Waskey, Mr. Redman and Chair Don Rathman as voting yes; the motion carried.

The approval allows Dayton History to proceed with the use subject to staff'recommended and commission-added conditions. Staff emphasized the site plan submitted to the packet is conceptual and additional plan-level review or specific site-design conditions may be imposed before issuance of permits. The zoning certificate required for occupancy or use of the lot as overflow parking must not be issued until the traffic-management plan is reviewed and accepted by city staff.