DOVER ‒ The Dover Planning Commission has approved a lot split for a potential location for an Aldi grocery store and annexation of 32 acres on St. Peter’s Church Road north of the city for a new housing development.
The commission, meeting on June 17, approved a request by the Aldi Corp. for a lot split for a piece of property on Ohio Avenue owned by Zimmer Orthopedic Surgical Products Inc.
According to Mayor Shane Gunnoe, Aldi is in the process of purchasing a 1.6-acre parcel from Zimmer. The land is located on the south side of Ohio Avenue between the Zimmer parking lot and a vacant lot owned by the Ohio National Guard at the intersection of North Wooster Avenue and Ohio Avenue. He stressed that the land purchase is tentative.
Last year, Aldi proposed building a 19,600-square-foot store on a narrow, wooded 2.4-acre lot in the north end of the city between Dover First Christian Church, 3029 N. Wooster Ave., and houses on the south side of Jessica Drive. The property is owned by the church.
The planning commission rejected a request to rezone the property for the project.
The lot split still must be approved by Dover City Council.
New housing development
The commission also approved an annexation request by Lawver Built LLC for a 32.7-acre property on St. Peter’s Church Road, behind the Inn at Northwood Village on North Wooster Avenue and close to Dover Burial Park.
Lawver is the same company which is building the Crimson Cove housing development on East Ohio Avenue. The 30-lot development is located on a 14-acre tract of land just past Aspen Drive on the edge of the city corporation limit.
According to the company’s website, 14 of the lots have already been sold.
A recent study commissioned by the Economic Development and Finance Alliance of Tuscarawas County, better known as the port authority, found that the Dover-New Philadelphia area will need 1,000 new housing units in the next five years.
The planning commission has a public hearing scheduled on the annexation proposal on July 8, and council must also approve the annexation.
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Aldi may be coming to Dover: Planning commission approves lot split for potential site
Reporting by Jon Baker, The Times-Reporter / The Times-Reporter
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