Newark Says "No" To River Road Project

The City of Newark has told the developers of the Preserve at River Road, a 50-unit, low-income development with a potentially large impact on Granville schools, that the City does not support the project. Judith Carr, the Director of Community Development in Newark told The Granville Press, "The City of Newark will not provide a letter of support for the proposed project." Carr went on to say, "Buckeye Community Hope Foundation requested an Ohio Housing Finance Agency(OHFA) Certification of Consistency with Local Consolidated Plan, Form 004, to be sent to them."

"According to our consolidated plan, Newark does need more affordable housing. Therefore, projects that provide such are indeed consistent with the plan, Carr explained."

"So I did send them this form along with a letter stating that the City of Newark did not support this project," Carr said.

"The property will not comply with the new zoning code to be passed in April. They have not been before the planning commission for a subdivision approval etc. Besides there has been no discussion with City of Newark officials, Village of Granville or Granville Schools. The OHFA form had to be signed by the mayor. The mayor’s cabinet and city engineer are all on the same page with this issue."

"Newark will not support the project."

Although the Buckeye Community Hope Foundation contacted the City of Newark, as Carr points out, they did not contact Granville Schools which could be heavily impacted by an additional 50+ children.

When asked, Roy Lowenstein told The Granville Press this afternoon that, while it was true that he had not spoken with the Granville Schools, he "had a long conversation with Ron Sheldon."

Lowenstein said that when they built these projects in Columbus and elsewhere they didn’t ask the schools. "It’s not really that Granville is any different than any other place," he said.

Lowenstein also complained about The Granville Press publishing the non-profit’s public records that included the names, addresses, and salaries of the non-profit organization.

He did promise to send The Granville Press copies of the application they will file tomorrow along with associated narrative to explain his side of the story. He was assured The Granville Press will publish everything he sends.

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Click here to read a previous story about this issue.