March 23, 2006

By Lauren Heaton

Anticipating research businesses and some light industry next to Antioch University McGregor at the Center for Business and Education, Community Resources requested last week that the Village rezone 35.2 acres of the commerce site Agricultural to Planned Unit Development-Industrial.

Village Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve a concept plan for the property during its meeting March 13.

Plan board will consider detailed preliminary plans for the CBE at its meeting May 8 and schedule a public hearing for a subsequent meeting before making a rezoning recommendation to Village Council.

The commerce park, located at Dayton-Yellow Springs and East Enon Roads, will be anchored by McGregor, which owns 11.5 acres of land zoned Education on the east end of the property.

Plans for the rest of the CBE, owned by Education Village, Inc., include a buffer of educational businesses adjacent to the university property, general businesses in the central area and light industrial businesses along the western perimeter of the parcel.

“The idea is to create a campus atmosphere around the school and to be pedestrian and bicycle oriented,” said architect Ted Donnell, whose firm, K4 Greene Architecture, is working with Community Resources to design the CBE.

According to the concept plans for the commerce park, building size and density is lower on the eastern end and increases toward the west.

The plans also include a roadway that would begin on Dayton-Yellow Springs Road, loop to the west forming the border between the general business and the industrial business areas and connect to East Enon Road.

A bicycle path would run through the center of the development from east to west, and a swath of green space is planned along the same route.

Two stormwater detention basins are planned for the northwest corner and the southern edge of the development, and the Dayton Street sewer would serve the area.

Community Resources has secured two federal grants to pay for utility infrastructure and roadway construction.

Village Planner Phil Hawkey complimented Community Resources for creating a plan that he described as not overly binding but helpful in attracting businesses.

Plan board members had questions about the types of businesses the CBE will target, but YSCR member Carol Gasho said the group plans to remain open to a wide variety of non-retail businesses. Miller/Valentine, Community Resource’s marketing consultant, will use the concept plans to attract prospective tenants, Gasho said.

She said she anticipated that it would take between five and 10 years to fill the CBE.

Contact: lheaton@ysnews.com