FR approves annexation, zoning

FORT RECOVERY — The path has been cleared for a new business to come to the village.
Fort Recovery Village Council on Monday voted 5-1 to approve a request from Dan and Grace Jutte for annexation and zoning of eight lots on the east side of Ohio 49 north of Commerce Street.
The change is expected to result in a Dollar General store being built on one of those lots.
The request called for four lots on the south side of the area to be annexed to be zoned commercial and four to the north to be zoned residential. An access road is planned to run between the commercial and residential areas.
Two of the commercial lots are already home to K&L Tractor Sales, and another is expected to be the future home of a Dollar General.
The annexation also includes rights of way in front of several other properties along Ohio 49 for the purpose of extending utilities.
Mercer County Commissioners must approve the change in order for it to be finalized. Fort Recovery Village administrator Randy Diller said he plans to file the paperwork with the county today and expects the commissioners to vote on the annexation and zoning within the next two weeks.
More than 30 residents were in attendance Monday, and most of the residents and business owners who spoke did so in favor of the rezoning and the construction of a Dollar General. Jerry and Lori Kaup, owners of Kaup Pharmacy, represented Fort Recovery Retail Merchants Association in opposing the request, asking that a vote be delayed and advocating for the village to hire a consultant to develop a long-term plan for expansion of its business district.

Karen Ranly of Fort Fitness and More noted multiple occasions on which she’s had customers who wanted to visit a Dollar General in order to purchase items other businesses in the community do not offer. Grace Tobe, former owner of Big Al’s Pizza and Carry-out (now Tobe’s Pizza and Carry-out), said she doesn’t believe a study is necessary and that a Dollar General would bring more visitors to the community and be a help to all businesses.
“To me, the more traffic that you can bring through is better,” said Tobe.
“I don’t care who puts what out there personally, but I think if you zone it commercial I can’t see how it’s possibly going to hurt anyone downtown,” added former service station owner Dale Thobe.
Kaup suggested a plan similar to one started in 1989 that resulted in Project Recovery, an initiative focused on revitalizing the downtown area of the village.
He asked that an outside expert be hired at an estimated cost of $16,000 to $18,000 to help develop a similar plan for the expansion of the business district, saying Project Recovery would pick up half the cost.
“Starting a second retail commercial district threatens the existence of a very unique, historic and economically viable downtown district because it steers us away from the very plan that made us successful in the first place,” said Kaup, who read from a prepared statement. “By using the Main Street approach, our community has been able to retain economic viability. Twenty-five years ago we started a well-planned development of Fort Recovery, and we would like to see this continue with the help of experts.”
Answering a question from Gail Tobe, owner of The Tin Cupboard, Mayor Roger Broerman said he has talked to officials and business owners from other municipalities that have Dollar General stores. Most of them reported that the new facility had not had a detrimental effect on local businesses, he said.
With the exception of a brief question from council member Dave Bretz for Jutte, council members did not comment on the issue Monday.
Member Dave Kaup asked for an executive session to discuss the issue, but council attorney Dave Bruns said it did not meet requirements to do so.
Voting on paper ballots, council members Rod Thobe, Al Post, Cliff Wendel, Dave Garman and Bretz were in favor of the annexation and zoning. Dave Kaup cast the lone dissenting vote, but would not comment on his reasons for opposing the request. At a previous council meeting he said he didn’t feel the village needed a Dollar General and that it would be wrong to potentially hurt any existing, locally-owned businesses.
The hearing Monday came after Fort Recovery Planning Commission voted 3-2 on Feb. 9 to approve the request.
Village council had considered a similar request in 2012, voting unanimously against rezoning a lot at the intersection of Ohio 49 and Industrial Drive next to Wangler Ace Hardware.