Initial plans call for 216 total apartment units, as well as space for two drive-thru restaurants and some retail.
The university has no apartment options for its growing graduate student population at this time, Janice Supplee of Cedarville University, said via email.
“One aspect of the proposed development would include apartment buildings that would serve this group of students,” she said. “The S.R. 72 frontage calls for some retail development that would be developed as needed to serve both the university student population as well as village residents.”
The rezoning was unanimously recommended by the Zoning Commission last week, and now goes to the Village Council for final approval.
The zoning meeting was well-attended by local residents, said Dan Sharrett, who lives nearby the proposed development.
“There were a lot of feelings of, not necessarily that this is bad for the community, but just needs more research to be done on and how it is going to impact not only our local businesses, but traffic, as well, as things like sewage, just a lot of things that weren’t laid out,” he said.
Sharrett said he’s concerned that installing a drive-through fast food chain would draw patronage away from local businesses.
“So we’re bringing in somebody that’s not involved in our community, and it’s going to be taking money out of our local business owners pockets,” he said. “It’s going to pull more and more away from downtown, where we already have trouble keeping shops in place.”
The proposed development is not final, and is “still very much in a discussion phase with many unknowns,” Supplee said.
Once more specific plans are ready, village council would again be involved in the approval of those plans.
The type of zoning designation is “a win-win zoning approach for the village and the university,” Supplee added. “It allows us to plan strategically for the future together and ensures that the Village has input into the details of the plan as it unfolds.”
Cedarville University has continued to expand, citing growing enrollment. The university recently purchased a 26-acre property from a local landowner and annexed it to the village, after being approached by the seller, Supplee said. The university said it has no plans to develop the property at this time.
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