AKRON, Ohio — Amid a tense meeting on Monday night, Akron City Council passed legislation calling for a 68-acre parcel of land to be sold to Triton Property Ventures for the White Pond residential and retail development.
The legislation passed by a narrow 7-6 vote as many residents in attendance voiced their loud opposition, concerned about the project's environmental impacts. Once the measure was passed, Akron City Council President Margo Sommerville called for a recess to allow police to clear the chamber. Members of the public who wished to speak later were brought back into the meeting one at a time.
"We know projects are better when the community is engaged," Sommerville said prior to the vote. "There's a lesson we can learn from White Pond. We bring residents in and community engagement in at the beginning of the process. Meetings that were held three weeks ago should have been held months ago."
Sommerville and Council Vice President Jeff Fusco were among the seven who voted in favor of the development sale.
You can watch Monday's meeting in the player below. The vote was taken at approximately the 55-minute mark.
“I applaud Akron City Council for taking action yesterday on the proposed White Pond-Frank Blvd. development,” said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan in a statement released on Tuesday. “There has been a lot of discussion and debate regarding the merits of this proposal, and I think ultimately the right decision was made. Akron has a future which can be modern, healthy, attractive, and prosperous but we must be willing to embrace good opportunities such as this one when they present themselves. It's not every day we have a developer willing to take a risk of this magnitude on our city, and every time we turn that opportunity away, we send a signal to others that we don’t want that kind of investment. Last night, Council’s decision affirmed that Akron is ready and willing to hear good proposals for meaningful development in our city, and I commit to continuing to explore these opportunities when they arise.”
Last week, the city of Akron put forth an updated plan and development agreement land located in the vicinity of Frank Blvd. and White Pond Drive. Triton plans to develop 29 acres of the land into approximately 98 ranch-style houses, 90 townhomes, 40-50 loft-style apartments and approximately 30,000 square feet of retail or commercial space.
Akron city leaders expect that work on the project would begin next year and expect it to be completed as early as 2026.
The plan did not come together without controversy. Even before Monday's council meeting, opponents of the development had expressed concerns about potential environmental and wildlife impacts in the wooded area.
Akron officials say they have addressed those concerns by reducing the total retail space from 60,000 square feet in its earlier plan, to 30,000 feet in its latest agreement with Triton. The two sides have also agreed that there will be no development in the wetlands area of the property.
“As a city, we must embrace investment and progress. Without that, there can be no future growth for Akron,” Horrigan added. “The reality is that we have steadily lost residents since the 1960s and with that loss comes the loss of jobs, tax base, potential customers for retailers, and help covering the cost of much needed infrastructure for our city."
PHOTOS: Aerial drone pictures of proposed White Pond development in Akron
The city of Akron also provided data from a traffic review of the area done by Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS). While additional traffic will be added, AMATS says the total traffic will be "well under the pre-pandemic levels (2018-19)" and it "does not anticipate major impacts on the transportation network."
"My team has worked tirelessly over the past months responding to residents’ questions and concerns. We have each had dozens of conversations and listened to hours of public comment. We have addressed questions about the environment, traffic, and the need for this type of residential development. I am more certain than ever, that this is the right choice for all Akronites, and that is who I was elected to represent," Horrigan said in response to critics.
The city says it anticipates "a considerable positive economic impact" for the area, including up to $8.8M to the Akron Public Schools and $200,000 to the Public Arts Council over the tax increment financing period. Additionally, Akron leaders estimate added income tax starting at approximately $102,000 each year and increasing as the site reaches full capacity.