Chester Trustees Vote to Continue Hearing on Fire Station Sale

BY JEFF SKINNER 

CHESTER TWP - At the Monday, August 11 meeting of the Chester Township trustees, the trustees heard multiple reports and opinions over the potential sale of fire station number 2, an old structure located near state route 306. The property in question is being looked at for potential rezoning, which has given many residents cause for concern as hungry eyes from Cleveland developers have historically sought opportunity in what is seen as the 'gateway into Geauga County.'

Currently, Chester Township is sitting on a 5.5 acre lot which houses fire station number 2, a partially decommissioned structure most often used for storage and has not been in used actively since around 2003. Historically, the property was zoned as residential due to the fact that the Chester Township fire department was once a private entity operating on a private parcel. As such, the privately owned fire house was zoned accordingly.

Over the years, due to multiple changes, the property’s value in usage has dwindled as the cost of maintenance has outweighed any generation. Under a proposed rezoning plan, the property would be rezoned as industrial and sold for commercial use, with the possibility of bringing in greater revenue for the township. The original plan would additionally see a rezoning of a residential property to the south of the station as well, better facilitating sale to a developer that may want to move in. 

The plan created a social media stir within the community, which has previously fought off Cleveland-based developers who sought changes to the local zoning laws, which would permit congregate housing in the area. The goal was to move a nursing home into the area, which would fundamentally alter the rural nature of the township, leading to bus lines and potentially the need for public water utility systems. The question many asked is if this particular instance is similar to their previous struggles.

Township Trustee Ken Radtke hoped to alleviate these concerns with residents by stressing that this particular parcel sale is not like previous and that the rezoning simply comes down to sound financial management of assets.

"I look at it as a fiduciary responsibility to maximize the tax payer dollars,” Radtke said. “Real estate has more value as an industrial and if you look at our map, the majority of all that land to the north of it is zoned industrial, so it really kind of squared off the industrial side of things.”

The first public hearing for the parcel plan saw the small seated area in the town hall nearly packed with concerned residents. During the meeting, the residential property owner to the south of the fire station, whom the trustees previously thought would be in favor of his parcel being rezoned for industrial use, revealed he was, in fact, not supportive of the move. This new information would, according to Radtke, mandate certain buffers be in place for any prospective buyer of the property, hopefully alleviating many concerns.

“That was new information presented to us at the public hearing, I was told they were in favor of having their property zoned industrial, they came to the meeting and said they were not in favor of it,” Radtke said. “If we remain residential there is a 250 foot setback [between the two], so there is the buffer, so the only thing that could happen there is what is already there.” 

According to Radtke, this new information threw a proverbial 'wrench' into the initial plan, as the trustees were simply not aware of it, and now need more time to consider options on the table.

Additional information that came out during the hearing was the revelation of at least one active ministry seeking to potentially build a park behind the station, further limiting any potential development of the area. Radtke additionally stated that the trustees have the ability impose deed restrictions on the parcel as well, should they need to create a better bulwark to ensure its usage is in the best interest of the township. The current prospective interest in the property is mostly small businesses, a far cry from major manufacturers or data centers.

"We have had electrical contractors and plumbers that have had interest in that property," Radtke said.

Still, many on social media speculated the possibility that the property could see enough development which would impact the rural feel of the area. According to Radtke, it can't be known what the property would be used for in a potential sale, as it would have to go out to bid, though the current speculative restrictions make, it highly unlikely, if not impossible, any kind of large factory use would move in.

“You can’t speculate what the use is but you can pretty confidently say what is not going to go there,” Radtke said. 

According to Radtke, the trustees’ fiduciary responsibility to the township mandate they try and ensure assets are providing the most fiscal benefit to the township, while also attempting to act in town's best interest and enact the will of the residents. It is a tight balancing act that may only be solved by greater public participation and shared opinions.

The turnout at the most recent hearing brought a bevy of ideas and opinions to the table not previously known, leading to the trustees voting to continue the hearing for later this month. It is currently unknown which way the trustees will cast their votes, though a sale may be most likely. Though what form a sale may take could be up to what feedback residents provide at the next hearing. Maintaining a residential zone directly to the south of the property and/or permitting a park construction to the north would severely limit any potential large scale development of the current parcel due to current zoning laws on the books.

“I do wish people would go to the meetings,” Radtke said. “I’ve been going for 35 years here. I’ve served on a bunch of committees and I’ve had the privilege for the last 13 years of serving as a trustee. We’re a very unique community with a lot of people with unique opinions.”

The next public hearing regarding the potential sale of Fire Station No. 2 will be held on Monday, August 25 at 6:00 p.m. The hearing will be held at the town hall.