By MARIA KACIK

Staff Writer

WESTFIELD TWP. — Tuesday’s public hearing before the zoning commission about rezoning landowner Tim Kratzer’s 90 acres off Greenwich Road came down to an age-old conundrum.

“It’s the question of ‘What do you get first: the chicken or the egg?’ ” asked Medina County Assistant Prosecutor Bill Thorne.

The zoning commission had requested Kratzer and his lawyer, Stanley Scheetz of Medina, present a site-specific plan before the area is rezoned from rural residential to local commercial zoning. Scheetz, however, explained the land would need to be rezoned before they recruit any potential tenants and draw up official plans.

“Scheetz is saying you can’t do it first. (The zoning commission is) saying you can do it first,” Thorne said.

In the end, Scheetz, Kratzer and the commission decided to table the discussion until 7:30 p.m. June 17.

The hearing began with public comments that allowed landowners adjacent to Kratzer’s property to speak first. Five landowners spoke, all of them supporting Kratzer, who’s a township trustee, and the rezoning.

Other residents not adjacent to the property, however, expressed discontent with the plans.

“I live here to get away from all that mess that’s on every exit on the way to here and every exit from here,” township resident Dwayne Kramer said. “We have an oasis here.”

Following public comments, zoning commission members asked for more definitive plans from Kratzer, Scheetz and their developer, Ron Haymo of Akron.

“Tell us what you’re really going to do, not what you think you’re going to do,” commission member John Miller said. “We don’t want to play that gambling game. You might get that, you might this, you might get this. We want to plan more specifics.”

Haymo explained while they have some uses for the land in mind — including a movie theater, restaurants, a grocery store with a gas station and two to three “big box” stores — they do not have specific clients lined up and cannot do so until the land is rezoned.

Potential tenants would want the land zoned for commercial use before signing onto a project, he said.

“What we’re after is the 50 to 70 permitted uses that we’re allowed to go after” in a local commercial district, Haymo said. “We first need to see if we can attain the potential users and then we can come back (to the township) and see what we could negotiate.”

Scheetz, however, said some conditions on the development could be arranged with the township. First, he offered to set a timetable of five years. If by the end of that time the land is not developed, it could be zoned back to rural residential and the development would be lost.

Second, he suggested that instead of zoning the land local commercial, he could use a local commercial overlay district that would leave the rural residential zoning in addition to creating local commercial zoning on the land.

Finally, Scheetz offered a promise that no development would happen on the land that is potentially being rezoned until the developer brings a site specific plan to negotiate with the township.

The commission, however, wanted more information and Scheetz requested they table the matter until next month. Scheetz promised to discuss his conditions for development with Thorne so he could offer a more detailed plan to the commission at its meeting June 17.

Last year, the zoning commission and Medina County Planning Services rejected Kratzer’s map and zoning text amendment applications that would have created a general business district on his 105 acres that are currently zoned local commercial and rural residential. This year, Scheetz on behalf of Kratzer, withdrew the applications.

On March 31, Scheetz submitted Kratzer’s current proposal, which attempts to zone the portion of his land that is currently rural residential.

This month, county planning services did not recommend Kratzer’s current amendment application, stating the land does not have sewer that is immediately available and the township’s comprehensive plan does not approve of large developments.

Scheetz has said he will make a motion for reconsideration to planning services, which makes recommendations to the township’s zoning commission. The final decision rests with township trustees.

Kacik may be reached at 330-721-4049 or mkacik@ohio.net.