Plans for the Haven Amish Community Youth Center are ramping up to include a multi-purpose pond on the 26-acre wooded property off Tavern Road in Parkman Township.
Plans for the Haven Amish Community Youth Center are ramping up to include a multi-purpose pond on the 26-acre wooded property off Tavern Road in Parkman Township.
Fire Chief Mike Komandt contacted a civil engineer about putting a dry hydrant in the pond so the fire department can easily access water, Komandt told Parkman Township Trustees March 4.
The pond also will serve as a retention basin when the property is developed and the Haven Board anticipates allowing participants to fish, as well, Komandt said, adding recreational activities won’t interfere with the facility’s main purpose.
Including a pond with a dry hydrant means the Haven Board doesn’t have to build a 650-foot-long driveway, he said.
Township Zoning Inspector John Spelich said in a phone interview March 8 he has seen sketches of the proposed facility and he expects the architect, Dan Barcikoski, of Chagrin Falls, to provide drawings of the project this month.
The half-acre pond is planned to be 17 feet deep at the lowest end and the Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District has approved those plans, Spelich said, adding he expects work to begin this spring.
Located to the east of several properties, the flag lot has a driveway about 2,000 feet long, according to the Geauga County Auditor’s Office map. The parcel is located north of Main Market Street across Tavern Road from Geauga Park District’s Chickagami Park buildings.
A year ago, the Parkman Township Board of Zoning Appeals granted a use variance and an area variance for the property allowing construction of the center for supervised groups of young Amish.
Original plans for the center included a gym for volleyball and basketball and a cafe. The holding capacity would be from 200 to 250 people with two softball diamonds outside for evening games during the week and occasional games on Saturdays.
At the time, development of the center was estimated to cost around $1 million.
In 2023, the Haven Board presented the concept to the BZA to develop two parcels on Hosmer Road and requested a variance, but the Haven Board decided against the project when it became apparent some of the non-Amish residents opposed the location.
Although the BZA had approved the Haven Board’s plan for the property on Hosmer, dozens of Hosmer Road residents attended a township trustees meeting Sept. 12 and many objected to noise and possible traffic problems on the gravel road.
The Haven Board heard the community and in a letter dated Sept. 26, 2023, said, “As time went on, we realized building this facility in their area will cause friction and disunity with them and, as Christians and members of this community, we don’t want that. So, if this can’t be worked out peacefully with the neighbors, we will change our plans and look at options in another area.”
The property was later sold for about $300,000, Spelich said.
The change of location to Tavern Road entailed some collaboration between the Haven Board and two property owners who sold parts of parcels to the organization to create an area of more than 26 acres.
BZA member Joe Keough said in a phone interview March 6 the board voted last summer to grant a use variance for the Tavern Road property, previously zoned for residential use.
“The meeting was heavily attended,” he said, adding residents along Tavern Road respectfully voiced their concerns, but the Haven Board reassured them Amish youth at the center would be well supervised.
