LIME CITY – Perrysburg Township gave its OK to an expansion of FedEx’s distribution center which will
create new jobs.
The expansion, planned when the $90 million center was built in 2009, will boost employment by an
estimated 22 full-time positions and require another 145 part-time workers, said Jack Hilbert of
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, the legal firm representing FedEx.
The company was also represented by engineers Monday as the township’s Zoning Commission unanimously gave
conditional approval to the project, which consists mostly of parking and loading areas.
FedEx will also purchase a nearby land parcel and fill a detention pond, allowing space for another
planned expansion sometime in the future.
Conditions of the approval as discussed Monday include a handful of revisions to be made to the site
plan, as well as some permits yet to be acquired from the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers.
"Some of these permits, in my experience, are difficult to get," cautioned Jeff Normand, an
alternate member of the commission.
Michael Brand of Mannik & Smith Group, FedEx’s engineering consultant, requested and received
permission that part of the township zoning permit be issued in advance of a wetlands permit that is
required. Brand said the contractor will begin work on other parts of the project as that permit is
sought.
"We would like our zoning permit to begin construction on the southern portion of the site until the
wetlands permits come in, because yes, they are very long permits," Brand said.
"The wetlands themselves are of very low quality. … We are not concerned about not obtaining the
permit, but just the process going through the paperwork."
Conditional approval was given 4-0. Two commission members, Greg Schaller and Ron Hanna, who announced
conflicts of interests, were replaced by alternates Chuck Ore and Normand for consideration of the
matter. Ore was appointed by trustees last week to replace an alternate who planned to move from the
township. Richard Kelsey was absent.