ELYRIA, Ohio — Discussions over development are once again heating up in Lorain County. A request for the city of Elyria to annex two parcels of Amherst Twp. farmland for a housing development is sparking speculation about backdoor maneuvers for a separate development down the road.
County property records show Builders and Developers Co., Inc. purchased more than 65 acres north of Albrecht Rd, between Bechtel and Fowl Roads, for $784,680 in June of 2026. The developer told News 5 it’s already under contract with Ryan Homes to build a housing development of single-family homes.
Current neighbors said they were distressed to learn of the influx of housing planned for the rural community.
“We planted trees and enjoyed the country life,” said Diane Ricci, who lives next to what could become the entrance to the new neighborhood. “It’s very frustrating because that’s why we bought in the country.”
Builders and Developers Co., Inc. said it approached Elyria city leaders last year about annexation. The owner said it would be the most efficient way for the new neighborhood to tie into Elyria’s sanitary sewer system. Additionally, the city would be responsible for street maintenance and emergency services.
The annexation would allow Amherst Twp. to continue collecting property taxes on the parcels, while Elyria would collect income tax from residents who also work within the city. Residents who work outside of Elyria are eligible for up to a 100% income tax credit.
City leaders said the new homes would help address concerns over a single-family housing shortage and declining population.
“When we think about it, where we stand relative to the rest of the county and where we want to be as a city, housing is a tool to really make that happen,” said Dawn Calvert, Elyria’s Director of Economic Transformation, during Monday’s City Council meeting.
During a strategic planning committee meeting, the council members debated the benefits of new housing and the toll the development could have on a rural area of the county.
“In my mind, it shows the potential for workers. And if we have workers, they could potentially attract businesses,” said Ward 7 council member Jack Cerra.
Ward 1 council member Andrew Lipian countered, “I think a lot of people that I’ve spoken to on the border of these properties are concerned that it’s a mega site by the back door.”
It’s a concern shared by New Russia Twp. neighbors, including Andrea Barlow. She’s among many who have been fiercely opposed to potential high-tech development at a thousand-acre “mega site” near the Lorain County Airport.
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“We don’t want our farmland to be taken from us, we don’t want our properties ripped through,” Barlow explained.
In March, New Russia Twp. trustees denied a zoning request to change the area from agricultural and residential use to industrial.
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Barlow said neighbors have been worried annexation could be another avenue to development by circumventing New Russia Twp’s decision.
In order for a municipality to annex land, Ohio law requires it to touch an existing border. The proposed housing development includes a sliver of land that touches the Lorain County Airport. That property touches the mega site.
Barlow said the mega site process has made many neighbors in the area mistrustful of the county government and suspicious about the current annexation. She said it feels like the residents are being left out of the discussion.
“If they would have just included us as stakeholders in all of this, it would be a much better situation than what’s going on now,” she said.
On Monday, Elyria City Council approved sanitary sewer, emergency services and street maintenance for the proposed housing development if the annexation passes.
On August 25, the Lorain County Board of Commissioners will decide whether to recommend the annexation. The proposal then goes back to Elyria City Council for final approval.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
