Representatives from 20th Century Construction and Faris Planning and Design presented a preliminary development plan for a 79-home, 55-and-over community to Bainbridge Township Trustees Oct. 27.
Representatives from 20th Century Construction and Faris Planning and Design presented a preliminary development plan for a 79-home, 55-and-over community to Bainbridge Township Trustees Oct. 27.
The presentation marked the second of three required steps for project approval: the informal presentation, the preliminary development plan and the final development plan.
“What makes Lakeview Villas different? It’s the lifestyle. It’s a low maintenance community, no rake, no shovel, no mower, so owners can lock and leave,” said Jeff Smul, vice president of development and accounting.
The proposed development includes a clubhouse, pickleball courts, pool, business center and firepit area.
Walkability
The main selling point of the community is its walkability and pedestrian convenience, said Sarah Sanders, landscape designer for Faris Planning and Design, of Hilliard.
“(The) homes that are organized along this main central boulevard, that is going to provide a significant landscape feature, walkable feature for those who both live in the community and outside the community, providing direct access to — and views — to (Geauga) Lake,” she said.
Several design elements aim to make the community safe for pedestrians, Sanders said.
“Intersections are smaller … we’ve decreased the size of (turning radius) to slow traffic down,” she said. “Sidewalks and crossways are different colors, so that it’s very visible to people in cars, making it safer for pedestrians and much more pedestrian-friendly.”
Historical Preservation
Another major selling point is the project’s focus on preserving the history of the former SeaWorld property.
The seating areas, fountains and landscaping at Lakeside were designed to “evoke the history and the idea of Geauga Lake,” Sanders said, adding the property will also feature the Grizzly Run water ride sculpture wall from SeaWorld.
“That bear will still remain on site,” she said. “It will be restored and protected so that it stays there and then we’ve designed a little garden around it, so it becomes kind of a focal point for that public pathway.”
Trustee Jeff Markley thanked the groups for their attention to historical details.
“The grizzly wall is kind of one of the few remaining items out there that is nostalgia based, so thank you,” he emphasized. “Everything else is newly constructed, but to try to pull elements of the history there … thank you.”
The concept signage and architectural designs were inspired by Geauga Lake’s original buildings and pavilions, Sanders added.
“We tried to take some of the details or the way that buildings were constructed, and kind of put them into something new that looks modern, looks elegant, but still evokes that history,” she said.
Planning Process
Smul, of Painesville-based 20th Century Construction, first presented the informal plan in February.
Between that meeting and the PDP presentation, Smul and Sanders gathered feedback from department heads on safety and design recommendations.
Trustees approved the PDP Oct. 27, contingent on all conditions being met before final plan submission.
Bainbridge Fire Chief Bill Lovell’s conditions included improving access for ladders and hoses to reach the back patios of homes — an issue addressed in the revised PDP by adding fencing gates.
Lovell also praised the proposed “James Hardie” siding, which has a zero flame spread index, meaning a fire in one home is unlikely to spread to another, he said.
One condition still outstanding is the inclusion of a single sprinkler system in the kitchen, he noted.
“What the assistant chief is talking about is a suppression system just over the oven, the stove, where most of the fires occur,” Markley added.
Assistant Zoning Inspector Dave Dietrich said the zoning department still wants to see three conditions addressed: dedication of Big Dipper Road (by developer ICP), completion of a defined recreational trail loop, and submission of the Geauga County Soil and Water Conservation District’s stormwater plan.
Trustee Kristina O’Brien thanked the teams for their collaboration throughout the process.
“You came with different drawings and you listened, you really did,” she said. “The first one was nothing I would have — I wouldn’t want it in Bainbridge. So, thank you for working with it.”
The project will now advance to the final development plan stage, which will include detailed engineering, architecture, lighting, signage and landscaping plans once all conditions from department heads are met.
