Lisa Hlavinka | The Gazette

SEVILLE — The village soon will be 103 acres larger after Council passed a controversial annexation agreement Monday night.

Council was split 3-3 on the annexation measure and Mayor Larry Landis cast the deciding vote for the annexation. Richard Barbera, Courtney Harlan and Ralph Smith also voted in favor. Sue Frey, Bonnie Gordon and James Lovejoy were against it.

The annexation, effective in 30 days, hit several snags throughout the process.

Trustees in Westfield and Guilford townships approved annexation petitions in early 2009. Seventy-seven acres were in Westfield and 26 in Guilford. However, Westfield and Guilford trustees later rescinded their approval, citing concerns the property lay in floodplains and developing it could flood other properties in the area.

In light of the townships’ concerns, Landis said Seville likely will adopt the National Flood Insurance Program regulations that the county follows. He said discussion of the regulations is on the Planning Commission’s July agenda.

He also said he was “a little upset” that Westfield trustees felt Seville “would flood its neighbors.”

“That’s not the way we do things,” he said.

Westfield trustees and property owners Denver and Rebecca Conley filed a petition against the other petitioners, Seville and the Board of Medina County Commissioners, which approved the original annexation petition. On Friday, Judge Christopher J. Collier ruled the township did not protest the annexation petition in a timely manner for the court to interfere.

Gordon, president of Village Council, requested a letter be added to Monday‘s meeting minutes. In her letter she said she objected to the annexation because it did not fit in with a village comprehensive plan adopted in 2006. The plan stated that to properly manage future development, Seville should focus on commercial and industrial development of land already set aside for these uses before designating new areas.

“I believe it is not in our best interest to annex land that is compromised by (floodplain) and hydric soil issues when we already have undeveloped industrial zoned areas in the village with none of those constraints,” she wrote.

The 103 acres likely will be rezoned from rural residential to light industrial, Landis said.

Charles Marshall, CEO of Beacon Marshall Development and Construction, said he started marketing the property after commissioners approved the annexation. He said companies are showing interest in the property, but declined to specify which ones.

Contact Lisa Hlavinka at (330) 721-4048 or lhlavinka@ohio.net.