Middlefield Village Council approved one ordinance March 12 and heard a second on first reading, advancing the first phase of the Heritage Pointe housing development on Lake Avenue.
Middlefield Village Council approved one ordinance March 12 and heard a second on first reading, advancing the first phase of the Heritage Pointe housing development on Lake Avenue.
Council accepted the planned unit development plat for phase one on the northeast corner of the parcel, which includes 39 lots of about half an acre each.
Meadowlake Properties LLC developer Joe Svete said Ryan Homes, which built homes in the neighboring Woodsong Meadows development, expects to construct the first model home in August.
The 80-acre parcel, accessed from Lake Avenue, is located south of Walmart Supercenter, 15050 Harrington Way.
Svete first presented preliminary plans of the 109-home development to the village planning commission in January 2025. Since that time, the village has annexed a 64.7-acre parcel through an agreement with Middlefield Township. About 15 acres fronting Lake Avenue already were within village limits and owned by Meadowlake.
Council also approved rezoning the land as a residential planned unit development, which allows for smaller lots and homes built closer together.
Last Thursday, Svete said Ryan Homes will not begin marketing home sites until the model home is ready for prospective buyers. In the meantime, he said he is working to ensure interested buyers contact Ryan Homes’ marketing department regarding lots in the first phase.
Village Mayor Ben Garlich said all necessary inspections have been completed, the village engineer has signed off on the road project and any identified deficiencies have been resolved.
The plat map for the roadway dedication for phase one was signed last Thursday and must be filed with the Geauga County Planning Commission. Other paperwork must be completed before the construction of the model can begin, he said.
Council passed a second ordinance establishing five incentive districts in the Heritage Point development, requiring residents to make village service payments in lieu of real property taxes and authorizing the creation of a tax increment financing agreement between the village and Meadowlake Properties LLC, said village Administrator Leslie McCoy.
The TIF agreement, which does not affect tax revenue for Cardinal Schools, will help pay for installation of infrastructure related to the development, she said.
Svete praised village staff for their cooperation through the process.
“I really appreciate everything you guys have done,” he said, adding the project and TIF agreement were difficult to put together.
“The mayor and staff were very helpful,” he said. “I commend the mayor for bringing this about. It’s a great benefit to the builder and developer. The village is so lucky to have him as a mayor.”
Garlich credited the village administration for its work on the agreement.
“(The TIF) was very complicated and new to us. Everybody did an outstanding job,” he said.
In other business, Garlich presented a preliminary floor plan for converting the former Burton Flower and Garden Supply Company distribution center at 14500 Kinsman Road into a University Hospitals primary care facility.
The draft plan shows 19 exam rooms, four doctors’ offices and a laboratory. A second drawing outlines plans to demolish the building’s interior to prepare for construction.
The village purchased the 58-acre property in Burton Township about a year ago. Garlich has said the site will also support a water well to supply the village.
