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What: Huber Heights Public Works Committee meeting
When: 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: City Hall, 6131 Taylorsville Road
A dispute has emerged between a long-time Huber Heights resident and Liberty Savings Bank — a disagreement that could jeopardize the revival of the Artisan Walk housing development.
Liberty Savings Bank owns property in Artisan Walk and plans to sell lots to Ryan Homes. But James Ewing, who lives on Ballauer Place with his wife Tina, is opposed to the proposed plan of the new layout because it will affect how they get to their garage.
They’ve taken their fight to Huber Heights public meetings and it’s gotten the attention of city officials, although Ewing admitted “they’ll probably get the short end of the stick.”
“If I lose, I’ll be disgruntled,” Ewing said. “I’m going to accept defeat. But it doesn’t make sense for the developer and bank to tick me off.”
Ewing believes the driveway that will be built on the lot next to his property — and will lead only to his property — will make his home less safe and put their privacy at risk.
Liberty Savings Bank said it will build and pay for the 12-foot-wide asphalt drive, but who owns it and where it should be built have been points of contention the last several months.
Changing the design of Artisan Walk is on the table, and developers want to remove the road the Ewings use now to get to their garage and replace it with this driveway for them to use.
According to Joe Ulicny of Liberty Savings Bank, the institution has offered to sell the lot to Ewing — half of it for $7,500 or the entire lot for $15,000 — and he would then own the driveway. Otherwise, the homeowners association would own the driveway and “no parking” signs would be erected.
Ulicny said at the Jan. 12 council meeting that if the homeowners association owns it, people could use it for walking and skateboarding, and benches could even be installed.
“Whoever owns it will be responsible for maintaining it,” Ulicny said.
But Ewing has scoffed at the idea of purchasing the lot. He believes the lot should be given to him because he’s “played by the rules” as a Huber Heights resident of 24 years.
They committed to the original layout of the development, strategically picked a corner lot, and paid $60,000 down on their $300,000 house, he said.
“For me, there’s a lot of principle involved here,” said Ewing, who owns two other homes in Huber Heights. “I’ve paid my taxes. I’m a resident. I’m not objecting to the home building. I’m open to change. I’m just not open to being the only person who has to compromise.”
Artisan Walk — which is at the northeast corner of Chambersburg and Bellefontaine roads — was approved in 2007 for homes with rear-entry garages, and a year later, the first houses were built, including Ewing’s.
Then the housing market crashed and the development — once owned by California-based Valeo — went through foreclosure.
Liberty Savings Bank is requesting Huber Heights City Council to approve a major change to the previously approved basic and detailed development plan.
Ryan Homes wants to build homes in Artisan Walk similar to what they’re constructing in Carriage Trails, doing away with the original design of houses having garages with driveways off the backs of lots.
“We feel that this will get the subdivision started up and finished within a two-year period,” Ulicny said at the council meeting. “If we can’t change this, their product doesn’t work and we’re out looking for another buyer.”
Ulicny did not return a message seeking additional comment for this story.
At the Jan. 12 meeting, City Council sent the request to a second reading, and more discussion is expected to take place at the Public Works Committee meeting on Tuesday.
A decision by council could be made at the Jan. 26 meeting, according to assistant city manager Scott Falkowski. City attorney Alan Schaeffer said the question of who owns the road is not before council, only the new plan.
“Whether it’s (Ewing) owning it or the homeowners association owning it, I don’t see why we don’t adopt the plan,” Councilman Tyler Starline said. “I’m not willing to sacrifice a subdivision coming back and possibly being developed for one home.”
Mayor Tom McMasters and Councilman Mark Campbell both said they are “sympathetic” to Ewing.
“I really hope that by the time the (Public Works) committee meets, this can somehow be worked out,” Campbell said.
Six homes have been built in Artisan Walk, which initially featured 50 lots. The new plan calls for a reduction of one lot — the lot directly south of Ewing’s property to accommodate the road that would provide a continuous drive to his rear-entry garage.
Ewing currently accesses his garage from Toia Lane, off of Bostelman Place. Toia Lane would be removed, paving the way for three new homes on Ballauer Place with front-entry garages.
“What they’re proposing totally changes the whole concept of what I spent my money for,” Ewing said. “I bought into that system. It wasn’t designed to have an alternate route that drives 12 feet away from my bedroom. It was designed to have another home next to it, which I have no problem with.”
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