Being on the Bellefontaine Board of Zoning Appeals is not for the faint of heart.
Tuesday evening, neighbors showed up at the meeting in hopes of having their voices heard about a property that is in development within the City of Bellefontaine.
“Bart Barok, Sox Real Estate, 5979 Dublin Rd., Delaware, OH 43015, is requesting variances for the property located at the southwest corner of County Road 11 and Township Road 216, Bellefontaine. Variances to Section 1135.05 include to permit a minimum lot size 6,000 sq. ft., minimum front yard depth of 20-feet, minimum rear yard depth of 30-feet, and minimum side yard widths of 5-feet with a total side yard combined width of 10-feet. Additionally, he is asking for an exception to exclude single family lots from side yard modifications identified in chapter 1155 of City of Bellefontaine Codified Ordinances, so the side yard setback is 5’ with no further modifications for this property. This property is currently zoned R-1 One-Family Residence District.”
A dozen neighbors expressed a range of concerns about how the layout of the property could affect the area, citing issues such as traffic safety, water runoff, and the impact on fire and emergency services.
The meeting lasted more than two hours, an unusually long session for the board, which typically handles routine requests such as adding a deck or building a shed.
At the end of the day, Barok already has the green light from the city to build single-family homes at the location, several months ago, when the land was annexed into the city at a Bellefontaine City Council meeting.
He says he is trying to work with the community to respect the surrounding landowners.
Board Chair Jason Robson tabled the decision until all five board members are present, noting that “this is a serious decision” and that he wanted all members involved.
After the meeting, Barok, along with Jeremy Levan, a local real estate investor and landowner, spoke with residents socially and voiced plans for the plat, which could include up to 400 homes with a walking trail and several retention ponds.
Neighbors said they felt blindsided and concerned about the scale of the project.
The announcement of whether a special meeting will be held in two weeks or if the board will convene at its next scheduled meeting on March 3rd will be released later this week.
