The Brunswick Ohio Planning Commission is discussing whether to grant a SPD (Special Planning District) for property located at 2099 and 2105 Pearl Road (the old Earth Plus Property). This SPD will set aside the current zoning requirements governing development in this neighborhood. The developer is planning to construct a commercial property called Market 42 along with 18, two-story paired villas. This high-density housing development will be accessed by driving through the Arlington and Cherryshire Estates.

The site is 20% smaller than what is required for a SPD (8 acres vs 10 acres), barely meets the minimum requirements for green space, is steep and has sensitive wetlands. 

Under the current zoning, the developer can build 7 or 8 homes, not the 18 homes they are requesting in the SPD. The public discussion to date, has focused primarily on the residential plans, and not the commercial building. 

Although the SPD is a plausible solution for this property, the project in its present form is too heavily weighted in the developer’s favor and does not contain enough concessions to protect the residents’ property and quality of life which will be seriously impacted. Presently, the benefits to having the commercial side are overshadowed by the negative impacts the proposed high-density residential development will have on our neighborhood and overall community.

Zoning is in place for a reason and residents have a right to rely on the zoning when they purchase their home. If the zoning is changed, then the residents should be highly protected in that decision.

Residents are asking the Planning Commission to not approve the SPD unless serious concessions from the developer are made including:

• Reducing the number of homes closer to what the property is currently zoned for;
• Provide better protections (privacy and setbacks) for the residents who will be impacted by this development; and,
• Outline the plans for how the wetlands will be protected, since a primary goal of a SPD is to protect sensitive environmental areas.

Your input is needed! You can help shape development of this project and others. The SPD can set precedence for how other sensitive properties in Brunswick are developed.  Please consider commenting at the Planning and Zoning meeting on June 2nd at 6:30-10:00 and/or if you are unable to attend, please sign and respectfully comment on why you feel it is important to protect our greenspace and to keep our housing density closer to what it is zoned for.