BY SUE KIESEWETTER
Enquirer Contributor
MASON -- A 541-unit apartment and townhouse project likely would bring more students to the Mason City Schools than developers are projecting, members of the Mason Board of Education said late Tuesday.
School board members said they do not support the residential portion of a planned apartment and office complex on the Bowen farm, across Mason-Montgomery Road from Procter & Gamble Co.'s health care research center. Developer Summit Properties would build the high-end residential community in two phases.
The Warren County Regional Planning Commission has approved the plan for the 103-acre farm, on the west side of Mason-Montgomery between Irwin-Simpson and Socialville-Foster roads in the portion of Deerfield Township that lies within the Mason Schools district. The Deerfield Township zoning commission this week postponed a decision on the matter until its June 22 meeting. Final approval rests with Deerfield Township trustees.
"This project goes totally against the grain in maintaining a reasonable density," school board member Jon Reinhard said. "Two- to three-bedroom apartments are going to bring kids." School officials said their experience shows on average 0.3 or 0.4 children per unit enroll in the Mason schools. They estimate the complex, when fully developed, could add 150 to 160 or more children to the schools, not the 41 estimated by developers earlier this week.
"We know the vast majority of people move here for jobs or schools," Mr. Reinhard said. "This is an inappropriate use of land."
School board president David Lenert said he and school administrators spoke last week with Summit representatives about the density of the project. It averages almost 14 units per acre on 39 acres. "They said they would not consider lowering the density," Mr. Lenert said. "I told them we're not on board. Unless the density is lower, we will not give our blessing."
Board members said they do not oppose plans by developer Peregrine Properties to construct three office buildings totaling 180,000 square feet on 16 acres of the farm.
Earlier this week Mason City Council members raised similar concerns about the apartments.
On Wednesday, Bill Morand of the Deerfield Township trustees defended the Bowen farm proposal.
"It's a good use of the land because it will complement the office and the business community around it," Mr. Morand said. "It should cater to that community. In the end, it should mitigate traffic problems, because it gives people an opportunity to live closer to work.
"The traffic patterns will counterbalance current traffic patterns, with different peak times," he added. "Whereas cars are traveling toward P&G from I-71, these people will be traveling the other way on Mason-Montgomery to I-71." Kathleen Hillenmeyer contributed to this report.
