WOOSTER − Changes could be coming to the city’s zoning code for R-5 manufactured home park districts, which could affect nearly 250 acres of land, including two mobile home parks.
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Wooster ordinances allow mobile home parks to exist in residential areas but the expansion of such developments was prohibited in 2018, Councilman Bob Reynolds explained at Monday’s meeting.
Council considered two agenda items Monday that would change the little-used zoning designation to allow for future residential housing.
Amending the city laws
The first ordinance was tabled for future consideration following a public hearing at the next meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5 in City Hall.
This ordinance would adopt recommendations unanimously approved by the Planning Commission, which would expand R-5 zoning to allow multi-family residential housing.
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“(The mobile home park moratorium) left an owner with no use for land not already devoted to mobile home parks,” Reynolds said.
If passed, owners of R-5 properties could construct multi-family housing as outlined for R-4 multi-family residential districts like the high-density Williamsburg Apartments on Beall Avenue.
The second item was sent to the Planning Commission for review, changes and recommendations and will likely return to City Council for approval.
If council approves, a section of the city’s zoning district laws would change — retaining the 2018 moratorium on new mobile home parks, but allowing for existing ones to expand in R-5 districts.
Budgeting for 2023
Before the council debated, passed and tabled agenda items, the city’s administrative team summarized the 2022 fiscal year and the 2023 budget, describing both as record years.
The city entered 2022 with an employment vacancy rate among its largest ever, Director of Administration Joel Montgomery told council.
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“But now, we have the lowest vacancy rate that I can remember,” Montgomery said. “We filled 47 positions and have no new positions in the budget for next year.”
In the first three fiscal quarters, the city exceeded its revenue expectations from 2021 and had lower expenses than expected, a trend that the city has kept going for many years now, he said.
The next fiscal year in 2023 is expected to be the highest in budgeted capital ever at nearly $38.3 million, Finance Director Andrei Dordea said Monday. The previous record was $22.7 million.
This increase is largely made up of debt-funded income at around $23 million followed by some $8.9 million of local funds like tax dollars and water and sewer funds and nearly $6.2 million from grants, he said.
Expected costs will include nearly $15.8 million in sanitary sewer improvements, $7.4 million to improve the city’s water system and $6.9 million to improve lands and buildings, Dordea said. Other costs are $3.9 million for road improvements and $2.8 million for vehicles.
Other action at Monday, Nov. 21 Wooster City Council meeting
- The city approved an annual request to allocate bed tax dollars to fund three area organizations. The first $50,000 will be split between Main Street Wooster receiving 57.5% of the total, the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce at 37.5% and the Wayne County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 5%. Anything over the $50,000 threshold will be split 50%, 30% and 20%, respectively among the organizations.
- Wooster will contract W.W. Williams to supply and install emergency generator controls and switch gear upgrades at the Water Resource Recovery Facility. It will cost an estimated $125,000.
- The city will renew its financial management software system through Tyler Technologies for one year at a 3% increase from last year. It will cost the city an estimated $72,912.
Up next: Council meets at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5 in City Hall.
