MANSFIELD — Mansfield lawmakers are scheduled Tuesday to vote on a proposal to rezone almost 40 acres on the city’s north side to multi-family, changing it from its current mobile home park district status.
The undeveloped land is broken into two parcels, south of Walker Lake Road and just north of the Wooded Estates mobile home park at 1322 Paddock Drive, along Longview Avenue.
According to the rezoning petition, property owner Michael Thiel from Delaware, Ohio, is seeking the change because the “property would be better suited for multi-family to be developed.”
The zoning request will be discussed during a public hearing at 6:45 p.m. in council chambers, which will allow public comment. Local lawmakers are scheduled to vote on the proposal on Tuesday.
According to the Richland County Auditor’s Office website, Thiel acquired the two parcels, totaling 39.5 acres, during a Richland County Sheriff’s Office auction for $200,210.
The city Planning Commission voted unanimously June 24 to recommend the zoning change to City Council.
(Below are minutes from the City of Mansfield Planning Commission meeting June 24. The commission unanimously recommended the rezoning of two parcels just north of Wooded Estates along Longview Avenue and south of Walker Lake Road.)
During its meeting, Planning Commission members discussed the fact no formal development plan had been presented, though Thiel had consulted a countywide housing study that suggested a need for additional multi-family dwellings.
Commission members also examined comments and concerns from multiple residents about local flooding history and land suitability for such a new housing project.
According to the city’s zoning code, the “MF Multi-Family Residential District” is intended to provide for a mixture of one- and two-family residential uses with townhouses and multifamily apartments at a higher density than the other residential districts permit.
“This district is also intended to serve as a transition zone between lower density developments and the predominantly commercial sections of the city. The areas designated MF further recognize that many formerly single-family dwellings have been converted to apartments,” according to the code.
The city zoning code says MH Mobile Home Park Districts are established to provide alternative low-cost housing to city residents, “in recognition that mobile homes are of such a nature as to warrant individual consideration and regulations due to the unique demands they place upon the public health and welfare, and the requirements of location and development that generally are peculiar to these uses.”
“It is the intent of this section to allow mobile homes to be suitably located and developed in unified areas having all necessary services and facilities comprehensively provided in accordance with a predetermined site plan. To this end, the site development and landscape design principles of this district, together with the provision of associated park and recreational facilities shall be an important consideration in achieving an attractive residential environment of sustained desirability that will promote stability, order and efficiency of the residential area,” according to the code.
Also on Tuesday, City Council is scheduled to:
— vote to honor Ray Peterson’s legacy and honor his contributions to the community by naming the Liberty Park baseball field in his honor.
— vote to accept a $7,500 grant from the Mansfield Board of Realtors for the Disc Golf Course at Middle Park.
— vote to accept a $100 donation from Bay World Manufacturing to be used by the city’s flag football program.
— vote to accept a $500 donation from Village Care LLC to be used by the city’s flag football program and youth sports.
— vote to accept a $560 donation from Synergy Properties to be used in the city’s flag football program.
— vote to accept a $2,707.74 EMS equipment grant from the Ohio Department of Public Safety-Emergency Medical Services Division to be used by the Mansfield Fire Department.
— vote to accept a $9,350 grant from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to be used by the fire department for EMS hazardous materials training.
— vote to accept a $75,000 grant from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to be used by the city’s drug abuse response team project.
— vote to accept a $141,424 grant from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services to be used in continuing the Mansfield Police Department’s FLOCK license plate reader program.
— vote to accept a $22,752 grant from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services to be used in the effort to reduce violence in the city.
— vote to accept a $49,089 grant from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services to be used to pay for a family violence liaison officer. The grant covers 75 percent of the position’s costs.
— vote to levy the annual special assessments for the improvement of Glenwood Boulevard and Parkwood Boulevard by sprinkling, mowing, sweeping. cleaning, etc., the grass plots or lawn strips in the middle of the boulevards.