GENOA TOWNSHIP — What is now mostly vacant farmland between Plumb, Rome Corners and Lewis Center roads will be a brand-new neighborhood in three to five years, pending further approval.
The Genoa Township Zoning Commission unanimously approved the Romanelli and Hughes Building Company development plan at its Monday meeting.
Now the plans must pass township trustee approval and county engineer oversight before the company can acquire housing permits.
There is currently no set date for when trustees will approve the plan.
Romanelli and Hughes submitted its application in September of 2022, according to Director of Development and Zoning Joe Shafer.
After several revisions, a zoning code rewrite and delays tied to a sewer extension project that required state approval of easements, the plans were finally ready to move forward.
That sewer project on Jaycox Road will eventually service the new development, along with other nearby homes.
“They had three years to get the final application in and they were coming up on it at the end of this year, so it’s good that we [submitted it] in plenty of time,” Shafer told the commission.
Full illustrative plan provided by Romanelli and Hughes Building Company representative Jim Ohlin.
The plans
The neighborhood will encompass roughly 129 acres, comprised of patio homes and single-family homes, all under the jurisdiction of a homeowner’s association.
As the land stands now, there are several ponds, a vacant lot from a house the development company chose to demolish, and another ranch-style home.
Developers decided to relocate the ranch-style home onto that lot instead, and renovate the home to feature new side paneling and stone features on the front of the home.
Throughout the property will be five “parklets,” as Shafer described them, which are green and natural spaces:
- A gateway parklet featuring a pavilion and gathering space
- A parklet centered around a stormwater basin with walking trails
- A wooded parklet with trails
- An arboretum-themed parklet
- An open green space parklet designed for passive recreation
The neighborhood will feature sidewalks, street parking, paved driveways and unique homes.
It will also include two access points— both on Rome Corners Road.
With the access points on the busy road, a traffic study approved by the county engineer in 2023 concluded the developers would also need to install northbound left-turn lanes for each entrance.
“The requirement is going to be for Rome Corners to be widened out to a three-lane section, pavement-wise, but they’re going to just spray it with the turnings,” Shafer said.
“They’re not going to do a three-lane turn section all the way down at this point, they may in the future, but right now the engineer’s office doesn’t think that’s necessary.”
Shafer also mentioned the county engineer plans to install a roundabout at Plumb Road and Rome Corners. He did not yet know a timeline for either road project.
