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CANFIELD -- Residents packed city hall on Wednesday to voice their concerns over the Type 2 annexation of 11 acres at the end of Laurel Hills Lane on the city's northwest corner.
Attorney George P. Millich Jr. represented the developer that purchased the land, On Mark Communities LLC.
"The proposed development would have high quality, upscale single-family homes," Millich said. "The average price would be between $500,000 to $1 million."
He said it would be a "triple win," with the city gaining the income taxes, the township getting the property taxes and the residents enjoying the upscale neighborhood.
City attorney Mark Fortunato explained the different types of annexation. He said in type 1 annexation, the land owner goes through the process of trying to get the land annexed totally into the city. In the type 2 annexation, the process is faster with the annexed land being shared between the city and township. The township would get the property taxes on the improved land while the city would get the income taxes. The city would control the property's zoning and would supply city services like police and the road department.
"This is just the first step," Fortunato said.
Mayor Don Dragish said, "The reason for us to say yes and pass this is the fact the city would have authority over the property. If we back out and the township takes it over, the city would have no say in what the development would look like."
Resident Chris Vecchione said the main concern was safety. She said there is fear of it becoming a 15-year project and construction vehicles would disrupt the peace of the neighborhood.
Several other residents expressed their concerns in several areas. One concerned the paving of Laurel Hills. The road is on the 2027 list to be paved, but if construction vehicles were using the road, City Manager Anthony D'Apolito said it would make sense to hold off until the construction is done.
D'Apolito also made it clear to residents in attendance that should the property be annexed, the city would zone it R1 for single-family homes only.
"This would give us better control over the property than if the township had it," Councilman Anthony Nacarato said.
City Councilman David Schialdone said, "The residents should have been given more information on where this is."
Mayor Dragish, Nacarato and Councilman Mark Graham voted for the Type 2 annexation, while Council President Christine Oliver and Schialdone voted no, so the resolution passed 3-2.
A second required resolution was to declare the city services available for the annexed property and a third resolution to provide a buffer to the township in the case of opposing zone types. Both of those passed council by a 4-1 vote, with Schialdone casting the no vote.
SEBRING DISPATCHING
Also Wednesday, council approved an agreement with the Village of Sebring to provide dispatch services beginning Oct. 8 after the police department determined it could no longer handle calls because of low staffing.
"(Negotitations) started over a year ago," D'Apolito said, "but recently things became dangerously inefficient. The original start date was to be Jan. 1, 2027, but we met and made it an emergency to start tomorrow."
Police Chief Chuck Colucci said, "It will only take throwing a couple switches and we should be dispatching for them."
He said no one in Sebring will notice the switch and for Canfield, it won't affect the level of service dispatch now provides. He said the city always comes first.
"I think it is amazing we have the ability to do this," Graham said.
Details of the agreement with Sebring were not revealed at the meeting.
In other business, council:
* Voted unanimously to create a Federal OVI Task Force Grant fund to handle the finances of the task force.
* Heard from Public Works Superintendent John Rapp, who reported the pickleball courts at Greasel Park will be officially closed Nov. 2, but the courts would still be available without the netting if someone wanted to provide their own nets. Rapp also noted leaf pickup will be Oct. 19 to Nov. 25.