WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — There are plans to put a gas station at the corner of Tamarac Boulevard and Lost Nation Road in Willoughby, and that plan is not sitting well with some people who live in a nearby neighborhood.
"It makes me really sad that a little piece of heaven is being taken away from us in a sense. It feels like our privacy is being ripped away,” said resident Danielle Duguid.
Neighbors said a handful of residents were sent letters about the planned gas station, and that’s when word spread.
"We were all kind of caught off guard because we kind of assumed that there was some type of process that would have been required, that we would have had a say, “said resident Rob Minton.
“Nobody was notified it was coming,” said resident Kristi Kemptner.
The city said protocol is to inform homeowners directly affected by a project, and those residents received letters about the project. Residents said they are concerned about traffic congestion, noise, lighting and property values.
A group of residents spoke at a planning commission meeting in February. They said the board may have listened to them, but did not hear what they were saying.
"It was pre-approved, they didn’t want to discuss anything with us,” said Kemptner.
The city made the following statement:
"The project has received all required approvals under the city’s zoning code. The Planning Commission reviewed and approved a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), confirming that this use is permitted within the zoning district, subject to specific conditions being met.
Currently, the property owner has been issued a permit for site clearing only. Approval to move forward with vertical construction has not yet been granted, as the City’s Building Department is still awaiting the final construction drawings. Once received, those plans will be reviewed to ensure they meet all applicable codes and requirements.
The Conditional Use Permit is valid for one year and must be renewed annually. This process allows the city to revisit the site on a regular basis and ensure continued compliance with all conditions of approval and applicable regulations.
We recognize there has been strong interest from residents regarding this project. As with all projects, the city’s role is to apply and enforce zoning regulations consistently, while following the established review and approval processes in place."
Residents said they have reached out to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and received a letter from the agency, which said in part, “With respect to air permitting, Ohio EPA does not have a permit application on file for a gasoline dispensing facility at this location.”
