Water 9 project makes a splash at first public meeting in New Franklin

A proposal to develop about 80 homes on part of Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links in New Franklin got its first public hearing Wednesday before a standing-room only crowd at a Planning & Zoning Commission meeting.

The Water 9 project under development by the golf course's owner, Tim Adkins, has sparked wide attention from prospective buyers seeking to live on the Portage Lakes. The site features more than 4,000 feet of lakefront property on Turkeyfoot and Mud Lakes.

At the meeting's start, New Franklin Mayor Paul Adamson said it marked the beginning of a process rarely seen in the city.

"We haven't had a major subdivision in a long, long time," he said.

'We finally have an application to review'

Some of the 65 people packing the small meeting room had hoped to discuss their thoughts on the development, but public comment won't come until plans are solidified, the mayor said. The process includes three hearings that allow for the public to speak as the plan moves through the commission and on to City Council.

"Now we finally have an application to review," said commission member John Perduyn.

He said the commission would need more detail on the plans, including traffic data.

"(We're) going to want to look at some sort of trip generation (data)," he said.

First step in long approval process

Roetzel & Andress attorney Jason Dodson, who represented Adkins PLX Holdings in the meeting, said Thursday morning the discussion went as expected.

"It's the first step in what's going to be a lengthy process — probably a six-month process," he said.

Commission members discussed aspects of the project, including the density of the development and environmental concerns. Plans will be revised to address those concerns, Dodson said.

"(We want) to get a development that both the developer and the city is satisfied with," he said.

Resident concerned about bass, turtles and noise

Some of the attendees said they were disappointed they couldn't speak at Wednesday's meeting.

New Franklin resident Dave Smith said he lives near the proposed development and had several concerns. He said he's lived in New Franklin for 35 years, long before it became a city.

"There's no frontage that's not going to be developed," he said. "There should be areas for bass and turtles to breed."

Smith said he also worried about noise levels from the Upper Deck Bar & Grill nearby. The establishment is owned by Adkins.

"I think somebody should be able to sleep in their home after 10 at night," he said.

Smith said a neighbor recently sold his home in part because of the noise levels, and he's considered doing the same.

Resident expresses fears about maintaining rural feel of community

Bonnie Slaven, another New Franklin resident, shared similar concerns.

"I'm frustrated the public can't speak," she said. "… This is where people come for the quiet, for the rural."

Aaron VanDerlin, a Firestone Park resident, said he came to the meeting because he owns a boat he uses on the Portage Lakes and wanted to see what was planned for the site.

"It could disrupt bass and turtle habitat," he said. "It could affect the fishing."

New Franklin resident Joel Owens said he lives near the proposed development, which starts in front of a couple of his friends' homes.

Still, Owens said the approval process outlined by the city appears solid.

"My initial (thought) is that there's a lot to go (through)," he said. "It looks like a good process."

'A year out' before roads, other signs of construction

Dodson said some of the concerns expressed by commission members will be addressed in a Homeowners Association agreement that hasn't been drafted yet.

More: Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links developer Tim Adkins buys Crouse farm land in Green

He said the process allows time to revise project details long before construction begins. Changes to the project are posted on Adkins' website plxlifestyle.com.

"We're about a year out before people could see roads in the (Water 9 project)," Dodson said.

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj or Facebook at www.facebook.com/alan.newsman.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: New Franklin holds first public meeting on Turkeyfoot Lake development