Commission advances 66.75‑acre 'Farms at Berlin Station' rezoning amid resident concerns over drainage and traffic

The Delaware City Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of RPUD (R PUD25‑11), a rezoning request from agricultural to residential planned unit development for a project called The Farms at Berlin Station on about 66.75 acres annexed in 2024.

Staff described the site as located just east of Berlin Station Road within the Southeast Focus area and said the proposal anticipates suburban residential (and potentially some missing‑middle typologies) with required conditions including tree preservation areas, a mound and plantings adjacent to the active railroad, a required 10‑foot multi‑use path along Berlin Station Road, five‑foot sidewalks on internal streets, and a required traffic impact study. Staff noted the code’s density guideline for the area at a maximum of four dwelling units per acre and observed that actual buildout density would likely be lower.

Multiple nearby residents spoke during the public hearing and raised recurring concerns about stormwater. "My property gets flooded every spring because of the way that the property drains to the lower left hand corner of the property," said Dave Serfoss, an adjacent property owner. Residents also asked the city to size sewer infrastructure so neighboring homes could more easily connect in the future; Mason Pillow and others urged retention of mature tree lines and mitigation of light pollution. Dean Smith, a retired firefighter, emphasized safety and local road conditions, saying, "There's gonna be a lot more kids, a lot of traffic over there. Somebody's gonna get hurt or killed." The statement prompted staff discussion of jurisdictional limits and coordination with county and state agencies.

Staff responded that the developer must produce a traffic impact study and that the county is included in that study; the city noted that turn lanes or other improvements that extend beyond the city's jurisdiction will involve the county or ODOT. On stormwater, staff said detention required for development cannot discharge at a higher rate than if the land remained farm ground and that developers are responsible for detention calculations and engineering. City staff also said sewer easements are under negotiation and that bringing water and sewer to the site would be coordinated as the project advances.

Commissioner Peralt moved to approve RPUD 25‑11 with staff conditions; Councilman Hoffman seconded and the motion passed by roll call with all voting members recorded as "yes." Staff said the case will appear for a city council first reading the following Monday and that a public hearing is set for Sept. 22. The zoning approval begins the regulatory process; technical engineering, stormwater and traffic mitigation will be addressed at the later development plan stage.

The commission’s action moves the project forward while leaving detailed infrastructure decisions — detention sizing, roadway turn lanes and exact sewer routing — to subsequent engineering review and intergovernmental coordination.