Sunrise Apartments Proposal Spurs Flooding, Run Off Concerns

A proposal to demolish the Sunrise Apartments on Rhodes Road and build a 612-bed complex raised fears of flooding and traffic concerns Tuesday during a conceptual site plan presentation.

Columbus developer Hallmark Campus Communities presented a conceptual site plan to the Kent Planning Commission showing their proposal for the 10-acre complex. The proposal would double the number of existing rental units from 100 to 200.

It's that proposed increase in size, and the increase in impervious pavement, that has nearby residents of Franklin Township who already battle flooding issues concerned the problem will get even bigger.

Gerald Ridinger said he and his wife, Miriam, live in the lowest spot on Caranor Road near the property.

"In 45, 46 years, I’ve been fighting the battle of water,” Ridinger said.

Like his neighbor, Edith Chase, residents near the apartments they have dealt with stormwater runoff flowing from the property, over Caranor Road and onto their properties.

“I don’t have any problem with it, old apartments being torn down and replaced with new ones,” Chase said. "The stormwater is a very important issue. Whatever it takes to get that problem solved."

Franklin Township Trustees Mark Beckwith and Keith Benjamin said that has been an issue for the neighborhood for some time.

"Flooding’s an issue," Beckwith said. "You have to see it to believe it. It’s a mess. I’m not opposed to the project personally, just the size of the project. It’s much too large."

The issue also is a concern for Kent Planning Commission member Peter Paino, who said he wants to see more green space in the plan. Current conceptual site plans show a reduction in green space and more pavement in the new project than exists at Sunrise Apartments.

"The project you’re showing here is virtually entirely paved," Paino said. "I have a real problem with that, but I don’t know that there’s anything we can do about that."

Rick Kirk, president and CEO of Hallmark Campus Communities, said the stormwater management will be improved compared to the existing system once the project is finished.

"I think one of the challenges with today’s design is the needs of the car versus the needs of the green space," Kirk said. "That’s one of the things we scratch our heads on is how do we meet the needs of parking yet have open green space? I don’t have an answer for that."

The current plan has one parking space for every bedroom in the project — for a total 612 parking spaces.

He said the project needs no variances.

Kirk gave Tuesday's presentation to get feedback from the commission and the public prior to an actual site plan presentation before the commission April 19. The property is located in the University District zoning, which has minimal zoning requirements.

"It’s university zoning, so if it complies with the zoning, our hands are really tied in a lot of ways on what we can do," commission member John Gargan said.