The following is quoted, with permission, from the NorthSummit7@AOL.COM (NS7) email newsletter of 9 April 2007:

ED KUCHAR - Boston Hills Golf Course Rezoning Thwarted

The Boston Hts. Village Council is moving forward changing the current zoning ordinance against the wishes of the majority of voting residents. The course is zoned for 1-1/2 acre residential lots with 125 feet of frontage per lot which the residents wish to retain. Council has had two readings approving 65 acres along new Route 8 to be changed to retail; the first of two changes to appease the builder. The second proposal will be reduced lot sizes with a bogus green space plan.

As of this writing there have been well over 300 signatures given by residents on a petition to stop Council from imposing their will on the citizens. Those petitions will be presented at the next zoning meeting and again to Council at the next council meeting. Next will be a petition to put the builder’s request for the zoning changes on the ballot for a vote by the people. That petition will only require 10% of the 600 voters or 60 signatures.

Some negative actions I observed by Council regarding this project are: Council must have lead the developer, Mr. Petros to believe early on that zoning changes could be made. That was not fair to him! Next, there are no final plans submitted for both the retail and residential requested changes. I also believe the bogus green space plan on the residential portion has been designed to seriously reduce the total footage length of roads, curbs, storm sewers, utilities, water, sanitary sewers, etc. in an effort to cut the developers improvement costs far, far less than one half. Such a deal!

For the handfull of residents that said you’re for this project because you believe in progress, I offer this. Southgate USA was progress. Randall Mall was progress. Stow-Kent Plaza was progress. Now all full of empty stores.

Ed Kuchar