AKRON, Ohio — Opponents of a controversial residential development in West Akron are questioning the validity of the process that resulted in the sale of the city-owned land to a developer.
Akron City Council voted on Monday to move forward a development on White Pond Drive after several weeks of deliberation and public input.
Under the deal, Triton Properties Ventures LLC is approved to buy 65 acres of city-owned property for $750,000. The developer plans to build townhomes and apartments with retail space and amenities like tennis and pickle ball courts, and a dog park.
Save White Pond organizers have cited an array of concerns, from traffic snarls to wetlands damage, as well as destruction of the property’s tree canopy, which Ohio EPA reported could provide habitat for the endangered Indiana bat.
The city declined opponents’ request to postpone a vote on the development until April so more questions could be answered, saying the delay could cause the developer to abandon the project.
Following Monday’s vote, opponents issued a statement highlighting provisions in the municipal code they said don’t align with how the property was advertised for sale or the number of votes that approved the sale.
In section 34.27 of the municipal code, the city has two avenues when selling city-owned property not needed for public use. The real estate either has to be advertised for sale at least once a week for three consecutive weeks, or, can be sold to the highest bidder for a fixed price with approval from two-thirds of City Council.
Opponents said the land wasn’t advertised and, on Monday, the ordinance passed with a 7-6 vote.
“A two-thirds majority vote would require nine members of council to approve the sale,” the organizers wrote. “That was not the case with this vote.”
The city declined an interview on the matter and issued a statement.
“The city has no concerns over the legitimacy of Monday’s vote and the results of that vote. The legislation passed, and we’ll proceed accordingly,” the statement reads.
Further, the law department “can’t provide legal analysis or legal opinion to press or the public,” the city said.
White Pond opponents also point to language in section 5 of the legislation that refers to the two-thirds vote rule.
