At Tuesday’s hearing, the Lake Township Trustees unanimously approved the rezoning of American Cold Forge on Woodville Road, from business 1 to manufacturing 1.
Debbie Rogers | Sentinel-Tribune
By Debbie Rogers
MILLBURY — While neighbors are giving the expansion of a Lake Township business the cold shoulder, the trustees are more warmly welcoming it.
At Tuesday’s hearing, the board unanimously approved the rezoning of American Cold Forge on Woodville Road, from Business 1 to Manufacturing 1.
Jeff Leverenz, with ACF, said that the company is bidding on work that could expand the business to more than forging.
The expansion would be for machining and sawing, Leverenz said. This part of the business is currently done by an outside vendor in Elmore.
ACF is located in a metal building; the new one would most like be metal, too, he said.
The Woodville Road corridor and what it should like in the future continues to be a challenge for the trustees, businesses and homeowners.
Several ACF neighbors spoke at Tuesday’s hearing about the zoning confusion in the area.
Ron Timbrook, who lives on Woodville Road, said his home and property have been put in business zoning, not residential.
“A lot of Woodville Road residential is in business zoning. A lot of businesses have residential houses on it. It’s really messed up,” said Zoning Inspector Mike Hossler.
“I have to follow the maps and what it is zoned the way it is now, until it gets changed,” he said.
Bailey Road resident Joe Zemenski said that the ACF rezoning request violates several Lake Township zoning rules.
“It’s a detriment to the other properties,” he said, adding that there are a dozen homes in that area. “The noise is horrible.”
The township zoning maps must be fixed, Zemenski said.
“Dump the maps,” he said. “This is spot zoning.”
Rebecca Rumpf said she bought her Woodville Road property, across from ACF, 11 years ago.
“We knew what we were getting into and it was fine,” she said. “But now, it’s more expansion, more trucks, more traffic.”
Jean Garrison has lived on Bailey Road for 47 years.
“I have never been more embarrassed about what has been going on in our township and on our street,” she said.
Hossler said that he took several noise decibel measurements around ACF. He said that he went out several times, during different parts of the day, while they were in production and out, parking in different spots.
“I found they were in allowance with the EPA,” Hossler said.
The train and traffic noise in the area was louder than the plant’s, he said.
Hossler also said that there have been no complaints lodged against ACF, for noise or anything else.
Zemenski played a recording of noise that he said was recorded from 200 feet away, outside ACF.
“What qualifies him to even inspect?” Zemenski said of Hossler.
Trustee Chairman Ken Gilsdorf made a motion to approve the rezoning.
He, Welling and Lorie Davis voted in favor. The rezoning is effective in 30 days.
Welling said that the disgruntled residents can get a referendum petition and put it on the ballot, if they want.
A trustee rezoning decision from last month — also on Woodville Road — is being challenged.
On July 18, the trustees voted 2-1 to reject a request from Hillabrand Holdings to rezone 33.3 acres on Walbridge Road from Residential 2 to Business 3.
Gilsdorf said Tuesday that the company has filed a lawsuit in Wood County Common Pleas Court.
The ACF rezoning request also had a snag earlier this year.
In May, Lake Township officials redid the rezoning request after affected residents said they were not notified properly.
