[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6093914,"mediaKeyId","2845254-a0e3a32b4a94e4debcb8dd94fc58e4b1","parentId",2845254,"title","Council hears robust opposition to proposed removal of school-board appointee to Planning Commission","audioSeconds",5672,"startMs",3978000,"endMs",9650000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2845254-a0e3a32b4a94e4debcb8dd94fc58e4b1&start=3978&end=9650","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2845254-a0e3a32b4a94e4debcb8dd94fc58e4b1/thumbnail_3978000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6093914/Ohio/Council-hears-robust-opposition-to-proposed-removal-of-school-board-appointee-to-Planning-Commission","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6093914-db6af0153da01cc0b4cc452ef88f963a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770704618&Signature=cSgi0BI5bRJdQXDhQ9Q315k-Vwlqm-rTPX2cCL8Dlf0ElVU2ZSsApLFwxNkCbzWHi6ic3QxSp3uy53ZkUhHCBgLiTdjxH~sVJbt9LGVRQrDdUB4GzVOrI28Ysqr6-HlqK9VspGgNQ4eZsbvVGaprZGC4LwzMzdszx90aQB1sqpfPIOK5-Egs6CZ3AquH1XVl7PvPjsuk7Ibp20qutYazwgA-uvJdIV2pLEgVS-ciFhi5k2F1fRNTxTOfLUUQXoPiVAUOmsUoC1gXz4hQdfckuvJ1pr2Fa3pZrfLsoYdGMbFhvrA3w2Mz2vVPYwdrbdktiIIp~Nhd3JvmuIMpmXdT3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Middletown OH","date","2025-04-02T11:54:25.687Z","article","MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Dozens of residents, school officials and Planning Commission members urged City Council on Tuesday to retain a longstanding Planning Commission seat appointed annually by the Middletown City School Board, saying the role gives schools a direct voice in land-use decisions that affect students and neighborhoods.

City planner Claire Fetters summarized the text amendment before council: the ordinance change would let council appoint all seven members of the Planning Commission and remove the seat currently filled by a voting member appointed by the Middletown City School District. Fetters said the proposed text change also would modify vacancy appointments so city council — rather than another authority — would fill openings.

Fetters noted the Planning Commission had voted 5–1 on Feb. 12 to recommend denial. Several written comments were in the record, she said.

Speakers opposing the change included Superintendent Debbie Hauser, Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer Randy Bertram, Planning Commission chair Will Parsons, former planning commissioners who also served as school-board representatives and public figures such as Rick Pierce from the Middletown Chamber of Commerce. Hauser told council the school-board seat “is not symbolic” and that school planners bring perspectives on how zoning, traffic and infrastructure affect children and families.

Randy Bertram, the district’s treasurer, described how past cooperation on facility siting, land swaps and tax-increment financing has yielded school and city projects and urged council to preserve the seat. Planning Commission Chair Will Parsons and vice chair A.J. Dean Mentel Jr. both said the commission itself did not support the change and that members saw no evidence of a code-based reason to amend the ordinance.

Several speakers traced the school-seat arrangement to a 1959 ordinance establishing the seat, and Fetters’ staff materials included an attachment summarizing those founding materials and the district’s comprehensive school compensation agreement of Dec. 18, 2023, which staff said was part of the background conversation.

Council deliberations were extensive. Councilmember Tony Horn — who initiated the amendment — framed the move as a matter of appointment authority and vetting, saying council appoints other advisory boards and that the city should be able to choose Planning Commission members. Councilmember Zach West and Councilmember Horn said they wanted a stronger, more direct relationship between council and the school board and suggested formal, regular meetings between the two governing bodies.

Several council members and many public commenters countered that the relationship between the city and schools works best when the school district has a formal seat at the Planning Commission table. Speakers warned that removing the seat would damage long-standing cooperation that has helped place schools, plan traffic and structure economic agreements such as TIFs.

Council ultimately took a nonbinding straw vote to gauge support for the text amendment. The straw vote was: Yes — West, Horn (2); No — Lolli, Carter, Mayor Slamka (3). The outcome was not a formal ordinance vote; council told the public the matter would remain on the record for deliberation.

Why it matters: The school-board seat has existed for more than six decades and school leaders argue it materially affects planning outcomes that touch students’ commutes, school siting, and the district’s fiscal planning. The change proposed would alter the balance of advisory appointments and how the district participates in municipal land-use conversations.

What’s next: Council conducted the public hearing and a straw poll but did not adopt the text amendment Tuesday. Staff and council members indicated the subject will remain on a future agenda for additional deliberation, and interested residents and district officials asked council to preserve the existing appointment structure.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Middletown Council Meeting 04.01.2025","oneSentenceSummary","A proposed text amendment to let City Council appoint all seven Planning Commission members and remove the school-board-appointed voting seat prompted large turnout and sustained testimony from school officials, Planning Commission members and residents who urged council not to remove the seat.","taxTitle","Middletown City Council, Middletown, Butler County, Ohio","taxId",68987,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6093909,"Middletown City Council: consent items, property sale and multiple ordinances approved; manager hired",6120,13112000,19232000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2845254-a0e3a32b4a94e4debcb8dd94fc58e4b1&start=13112&end=19232","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2845254-a0e3a32b4a94e4debcb8dd94fc58e4b1/thumbnail_13112000.jpg","/articles/6093909/Ohio/Middletown-City-Council-consent-items-property-sale-and-multiple-ordinances-approved-manager-hired","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6093909-9d096beaa13cedf221c8f2afa41eb668/orig.mp4?Expires=1770704618&Signature=e4E9whRlNroOypfGnop~g2dJBIjhgHtFAkuGfIgr2K9wlnvj47JdxRDCDtRN4uTlaeu3CkT4IkMQ2EYTced9Bu2BMWYmH-HkjwkJUKXOxZIag2CiS-pPkNhbWQGPdLCx6tiWP3vL3s8pqhy9wtE0~KX83HvEuplN3dWHyORZFar~lhUbb1JWEz7UaCy51x1-hWzeuf5zalWO2~QQEkQ2njihCK0OAtd2wemdPVKF-RgnNAq1CxR4fxNZjOj~Qi-Cy1ooe54AYuyrDueLgynnaFlWjNoRuieyvac6Cy-XSzwqEYwCohTeX65Upa85ttWMl9VNEd3yD2t7mxRQ2qv-Eg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — City Council on Tuesday moved a slate of routine and substantive measures: it approved the consent agenda, authorized the sale of a city-owned blighted lot at 1333 Grove Street to a private buyer with rehabilitation and owner-occupancy conditions, passed several funding and utility measures on second reading or as emergencies, and completed a post-executive-session vote to hire Ashley Combs as city manager.

Votes at a glance (key items taken and final roll-call outcomes as recorded in the April 1 meeting):

- Consent agenda (receive and file minutes; oaths of office): Approved by roll call (unanimous yes). The packet included Planning Commission minutes (12/11/2024, 01/13/2025, 02/12/2025), library board minutes and historic commission minutes and oaths for several appointees.

- Motion agenda, item a — purchase/sale/development agreement for 1333 Grove Street: Approved. Buyer Larry Glenn will rehabilitate one home, convert the second structure to a garage within 12 months and accept a 10-year owner-occupancy requirement. The city reported it had acquired the property to combat blight and did not incur acquisition cost; staff estimated maintenance savings and the buyer’s purchase price was $2,162.25 plus closing costs. Roll-call vote: unanimous yes.

- Resolution R2025-08 (Christo townhomes/Renaissance Point TIF overlay and notice): Adopted on second reading as an emergency to permit a public hearing on May 6 and to preserve the developer’s due-diligence schedule. The legislation updates TIF overlays and an economic development plan; staff said the developer will cover upfront costs and reimbursements are recovery via TIF revenues. Roll-call vote: yes.

- Appropriations adjustment R2025-09 (fire training/OPS line): Approved on second reading (small grant-funded adjustment to cover advanced burn classes). Roll-call vote: yes.

- O2025-13 (adoption of 2024 supplement to city codified ordinances): Approved on second reading; update reflects Ohio statutory changes and ordinances adopted through Aug. 6, 2024. Roll-call vote: yes.

- O2025-14 (utility reimbursement agreement with Duke Energy for pole/line relocations on SR-122): Approved as an emergency; staff said the city’s share of relocation costs is about $353,561 to support Renaissance Point right-of-way improvements. Roll-call vote: yes.

- O2025-15 (Duke Energy transformer and line extension for new Fire Station 85): Approved as emergency; Duke is sole electrical service provider and the city’s share (40% of specified work) is $30,269.43, staff said. Roll-call vote: yes.

- R2025-10 (purchase of Motorola radios for police): First/second-reading procedural notes and request for emergency status appeared; council did not take final action on April 1. Staff requested funding for additional radios to equip expanded patrol staffing. Council members discussed adding one radio for the city manager so the manager can monitor major incidents in real time; council voted to amend staff request to increase the radio order by one unit before a final reading.

- R2025-11 (Comprehensive Opioid/Stimulant grant appropriation changes): First reading; no final council action April 1. Staff said the city will receive grant funds and requested de-appropriation and reallocation to cover overtime and benefits tied to the grant.

- O2025-16 (issuance/sale of notes in anticipation of bonds for Renaissance Area/Arena District infrastructure): First reading only; authorizes up to $5.5 million in new bond anticipation notes to refinance 2024 short-term notes tied to Renaissance Point infrastructure if council so decides in future sessions.

- Employment agreement for city manager Ashley Combs: After an executive session, council voted to approve the employment agreement, making Ashley Combs city manager. Roll-call vote: unanimous yes.

Why it matters: The actions on financing, utility relocations and TIF overlay language facilitate infrastructure work for the Renaissance Point development and related right-of-way projects. The Grove Street property sale and the city-manager appointment are immediate operational decisions with direct impact on blight remediation and city administration.

What to watch: Council set a May 6 public hearing date for the TIF overlay and will consider final financing and radio purchases at subsequent meetings. Council also scheduled continued public discussion of feral/stray-cat issues at Smith Park for the April 15 council meeting after many residents and rescue groups urged the city to support trap-neuter-return and low-cost spay/neuter services.","Council approved multiple routine and emergency measures on April 1 including the sale of a blighted lot, several emergency agreements tied to the Renaissance Point infrastructure and the hiring of Ashley Combs as city manager.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6093919,"Middletown council hears Wawa plan for Route 122 site; planning commission had recommended denial",2808,602000,3410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2845254-a0e3a32b4a94e4debcb8dd94fc58e4b1&start=602&end=3410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2845254-a0e3a32b4a94e4debcb8dd94fc58e4b1/thumbnail_602000.jpg","/articles/6093919/Ohio/Middletown-council-hears-Wawa-plan-for-Route-122-site-planning-commission-had-recommended-denial","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6093919-b55e45dfed164723c6bfcee25bd8409f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770704618&Signature=NBX~Lnh-IvKLATiV2A3sSKF9Ho8tcy32nP8VqbaUd7A82xH1c0L1Bj6sylnY0CwgSR8hTFq5rHN72Urp8Q6r~Qerf-9gAIYhjVarDTT3zo7Wc1cAEwbkWzpNlO5esYLp0pdOxDk8tAQcHJ-fi2UYk0dxuq0idM2HbObDSMUFL~bSD8jytN1FIk2JIxKsMiF2bWXJ8I63T4Iv~~CprC32OwflIVjasC0vtY7-~VKrESBVGsoLhGjEd7fjiPKsfENtNe7OCFZkqSyEDZBe-WHQvKHKLTTW9zrZrxqFcRnNH~jN8BrJGZvODDo4Zo0lcBnzn~D8JtyTWnVhuec0rxI72Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — City staff and neighbors weighed the merits and limits of a proposed Wawa convenience store and fuel station during a public hearing Tuesday on a 1.767-acre parcel along State Route 122 that currently holds a vacant CVS building.

City planner Claire Fetters told council the applicant seeks a plan-development district (PD) and multiple waivers to allow retail fuel sales, a smaller PD site than the code’s 5-acre minimum, reduced stacking for the pickup/drive-through lane and other exceptions. The site currently holds a roughly 13,145-square-foot former CVS building; the proposed building footprint for Wawa was described as about 6,300 square feet.

The proposal calls for 24-hour operation, six double-sided fuel dispensers under a canopy, a pickup window for phone/app orders (no menu board or ordering speaker), about 48 parking spaces (including future EV charging for eight spaces) and roughly 40 employees. Fetters said the Planning Commission voted 5–1 to recommend denial and flagged missing materials including a landscaping plan; the city management office recommended denial; community economic development staff said the area might be oversaturated with fuel retailers; public works asked for a traffic study.

Jonathan Woker, the applicant’s planner, told council the owner (Trotman Doms) and Wawa view the site as suitable despite its size limits. Woker said the developer would demolish the existing CVS, that the site’s three frontages and medians on Route 122 make access right-in/right-out, and that the PD process allows council to approve deviations where a plan furtheres the master plan. He described the proposal as a roughly $7 million project and said Wawa’s model emphasizes made-to-order food, community involvement and benefits such as ESOP participation for employees.

Patrick Wornament, a Wawa representative, described the company’s national track record on jobs, charitable giving and employee tenure, and said the company plans to site company-owned stores with regular maintenance and quality control rather than franchised operations.

At the public hearing, the Planning Commission’s vice chair, A.J. (Alton) Dean Mentel Jr., who had served on the commission that reviewed the application, explained the commission’s denial. Mentel emphasized that the PD minimum site area is intended for larger developments and that repeatedly seeking waivers to fit a single building onto a substandard lot undermines the PD process.

Councilmember Tony Horn said he and other members wanted Wawa to locate in Middletown but questioned whether this parcel — a small lot built for a 13,000-square-foot CVS — was the best location for the company. Horn and other council members pressed on site constraints, building massing and the longstanding code standards the PD process was designed to respect.

No final council vote occurred Tuesday. The public hearing record included four written public comments forwarded to council; Fetters said the applicant had indicated it would submit a traffic impact study if rezoning were approved. Council did not adopt or deny the PD at the meeting.

Why it matters: The site sits inside the East End Renaissance development area on the city’s future land use map, a location where the city envisions mixed-use and commercial activity. Approval would change both zoning and the parcel’s permitted uses and could shape follow-on infrastructure and traffic decisions for the growing corridor.

What’s next: The application remains in the public record. Council members asked questions but took no final action; if the applicant requests council consider a rezoning or development plan again, staff will place it on a future agenda with any supplemental materials (traffic study, landscaping plan, updated site plans) that council requests.","A developer asked the city to rezone a former CVS lot for a 6,300-square-foot Wawa with fuel, 24/7 operation and about 40 employees. Planning staff and the Planning Commission flagged multiple required waivers; the commission recommended denial 5–1. Council did not take a final vote at the hearing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council hears robust opposition to proposed removal of school-board appointee to Planning Commission

Middletown City Council: consent items, property sale and multiple ordinances approved; manager hired

Middletown council hears Wawa plan for Route 122 site; planning commission had recommended denial