Township Talk - August 17
Anthony Caruso of Boy Scout Troop 87, Sylvania, right, stencils the message, ‘Lake Erie Starts Here. Dump no waste.’ on storm sewers as part of the Partners for Clean Streams project orchestrated by Bob Neubert of the Lucas County Engineers office. He is joined by Grant Hoose, Troop 104, Maumee; Caleb Solomon, 160, Millbury; Logan Phillips, 2, Epworth; Trent Wedesser, 422, Toledo; and Robert McBrier, 14, Toledo. Twenty-two scouts are part of the project.
Grant Awarded
Sylvania Township Administrator Oliver Turner recently learned that the township’s Safe Routes to Schools application submitted on March 3 was selected by the Ohio Department of Transportation for funding. The township will receive a total of $491,708 in the 2026 fiscal year for such things as upgraded traffic signaling, crosswalks, sidewalks, path extensions, and other improvements to make getting to school safe for students. This grant will also help to connect residential communities to Central Trail, Stranahan, HillView, and Whiteford elementary schools and Timberstone and Arbor Hills junior high schools.
As a part of this process, the Township worked with DGL Consultants which conducted studies with parents and school personnel, compiled data, and highlighted the safety gaps for children who would like to walk or bike to each of these schools for the application.
Sylvania Township Road and Service Superintendent Rob Nash has been working on this project for several years and is happy that these plans will be implemented.
YMCA Agreement Ok’d
The Sylvania Township Trustees voted to enter a joint use agreement with the YMCA of Greater Toledo making the agency eligible to receive a $500,000 state of Ohio renovation grant. This agreement ensures that the Sylvania YMCA facilities at 6465 Sylvania Ave. and its programs will be accessible to all area residents through membership and financial assistance if needed.
The funds will be used to renovate and enhance the wellness space. Equipment will be updated. Family program space will be expanded to accommodate art, dance, fitness, and social spaces for all age groups. An indoor pool will be added for water fitness, swim instruction, lap swimming, and family fun activities. These expanded and enhanced facilities and programming will allow the YMCA to expand child care, healthy living classes, and the support of active older adults.
Nominate a Deserving Resident
The Sylvania Township Trustees are seeking nominations by Sept. 29 for the third annual Sylvania Township Distinguished Citizen Service Award.
The purpose of this award program is to honor those volunteers who quietly work behind the scenes for the betterment of the community and their fellow citizens.
“The area is fortunate to have many residents who work to maintain and improve the quality of life in the area,” offered John Crandall, chairman of the Sylvania Township Trustees. He noted that some of those volunteers in public life are well recognized for their efforts, but that he has known many who have quietly worked to better the community without looking for recognition for their service.
Elected officials or anyone who may have already been honored by the naming of a street, park, or other public space are not excluded from consideration for the award.
McKenna Reitz and Brian Kezur became the inaugural recipients of the award in 2022 while Sharon Lange and Baron Black received the award in 2023.
Anyone from Sylvania Township or the City of Sylvania can be nominated to be considered for the honor on or before the Sept. 29 deadline. Those nominations may be emailed to Township Administrator Oliver Turner at Oturner@sylvaniatownship.com, mailed or dropped off at the Sylvania Township Administration Building, 4927 N. Holland-Sylvania Rd.
Fall Leaf Pickup
The Sylvania Township Trustees approved Roads and Services Superintendent Rob Nash’s request to award the 2023 leaf pick-up contract to A & J Landscape LLC, the low bidder for the project.
Zoning Exemption Approved
At the Aug. 7 Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, an exception was granted to Jim and Leslie Rhegness to temporarily place a mobile home on their property at 8430 Faldl Rd. with the recommendation of the Planning & Zoning Manager Daryl Graus. The Rhegness family will live in the mobile home while their residence, which was damaged by fire, is being restored.
Zoning Issues
The Zoning Commission unanimously recommended a zoning change from C-4PUD, (Professional/Business Office Planned Unit Development) to C-2PUD (General Commercial Planned Unit Development) for the property at 4914 Whiteford Rd. at the Aug. 9 meeting. The building owner requested this change to increase the options for potential tenants.
The commission, with a three to two vote, did not recommend a zone change from RA, or Low-Density Residential, to R-4PUD, or High-Density Residential Planned Unit Development, for properties at 4828 and 4752 Whiteford Rd. The zoning change would allow the development of Whiteford Woods, a 58-unit villa community on an eight-acre parcel. In addition to presentations by the development team Greg Feller, of Feller & Finch Assoc., Brian McCarthy, of McCarthy Builders, and Dennis Noneman of Noneman Real Estate Company, several neighboring homeowners spoke in opposition to the development. Both zoning issues will be addressed by the Township Trustees at their meeting.