Contamination near Proposed Housing Concerns Official
Middlefield Village Planning and Zoning Commission members voted on two potential projects in the southeast sector of the village during their June 11 meeting.
Middlefield Village Planning and Zoning Commission members voted on two potential projects in the southeast sector of the village during their June 11 meeting.
Zoning Inspector John Boksansky reported Bonner Ohio Properties LTD has proposed consolidating two properties to create one 44-acre parcel near the intersection of East High Street and Madison Road.
The Geauga County Tax Map Department approved the consolidation, but the village engineer has not signed off on it, yet, Boksansky said.
“It’s a rather large parcel next to (Geauga Concrete),” he said, adding the next concerns revolve around access using the private Industry Drive off Madison or creating a curb cut onto East High.
Mayor Ben Garlich said a warehouse exceeding 750,000 square feet is being planned to accommodate product storage at Diversified Plastics Inc., formerly Dillen Properties LTD, at 16455 East High Street.
“It’s a very large conglomerate. (The warehouse) guarantees the business will be here for a long time,” he said, adding the facility would employ more than 100 workers.
The commission voted in favor of the lot consolidation if the village engineer approves it.
Developers of the proposed Smallwood subdivision requested an easement from the village for two retention basins, one on either end of the 24-home, cul-de-sac off South State Avenue.
Commission member Jim Linberg noted the residential development would be adjacent to The Middlefield Industrial Complex operated by Third Dimension Inc., which is a super fund site, making the parcel to the north questionable for residential development. A pump-and-treat program has been processing the contaminated groundwater there.
Originally known as the Geauga Company, the site was occupied by Carlisle Engineered Products when the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency first became aware of the contamination more than 20 years ago.
TDI has maintained the clean-up operation of chemicals tetrachloroethylene, dichloroethane and trichloroethylene found contaminating the property by the USEPA in the 1980s and 1990s, according to “While the EPA Slept,” by Sarah Fenske, published in The Cleveland Scene in 2001.
The pump-and-treat program has been processing the contaminated groundwater since 2002, according to the Ohio EPA. The process was expected to take about 50 years to clear all the contaminants from the water and make it potable.
In 2021, TDI started a bio remediation process where certain chemicals are injected into the site to supercharge bacteria that will break down the contaminants into methane gas, according to previous reporting.
Linberg said he believes when the trees are taken down and basements are dug for the single-family homes north of the TDI site, the contamination could become a problem.
He also said children living in the development might trespass on the TDI property and be affected by any residual contamination.
“I don’t think that’s related to the development of a separate site,” said village solicitor Luke McConville. “We can get information from the EPA on the status of the cleanup. It’s not going to affect their drinking water – it’s not the source of (the development’s) drinking water.”
The village water system is supplied by wells north of the village.
“TDI just put in a big addition. They would know if there was a problem,” said commission Chairman Scott Klein.
“I don’t think they have the same concerns,” Linberg added. “It’s still listed as a super fund site.”
McConville said the owners of the Smallwood property have a right to market their property.
“There is no evidence the Smallwood site is a contaminated site,” he said.
Linberg said a current status of the ground under the development site should be required and noted there are underground springs in the area causing water to bubble up in his own yard to the south of the proposed development.
“We ought to mandate it be tested before we start tearing up trees and digging basements,” he said.
Garlich said the TDI site is being remediated at great expense to the owners.
Commission member Dave Dietrich noted the issue of a stormwater easement for the stormwater retention basins was the matter before the commission.
Linberg cast the single “no” vote and the easement was approved.
