Bob DeFlece of Mansfield Township, Jon Howard of Mansfield Township, Joe Jones of Mansfield Township
To the editor:
We need your help in stopping the deliberate over-development of 14 Sheffield Drive in the Mansfield Hunt section of Mansfield Township.
The proposed development includes two more 8,000 square-feet medical-professional office buildings with 71 parking spots on a lot that has only two usable acres, contains wet lands, has stream encroachment restrictions, riparian buffers and is surrounded by R-1 residential lots.
This is a classic over-development application that has many negative impacts on our community and should never be approved as is.
This application has the following impacts to all the residents of Mansfield Hunt, Lynnwood Farms, Country Walk, Homestead and the community at large:
• Will injure and detract from the use of the neighboring properties.
• Will detract from the character of the neighborhoods. The backs of the proposed strip buildings will face Sheffield Drive.
• Does not safeguard or buffer adjacent properties. Town ordinances require a 20-foot planted buffer on all residential sides which the applicant refuses to do.
• Increases the risk of flooding for all surrounding properties because of too much impervious coverage and incorrectly designed retention ponds.
• Will increase pollution and damage to Crafts Creek.
• Loss of property values in Mansfield Hunt and for all surrounding developments because real estate comps are taken from a couple mile radius.
• Increased traffic congestion on Sheffield Drive and Columbus road is going to increase noise, emissions, and safety of all those in the area.
• Traffic flow through the back of Mansfield Hunt and Lynnwood Farms is going to increase dramatically because people are not going to want to wait at the corner of Sheffield and Columbus road during everyday backups.
• Potential for health risks associated with overloading on-site septic disposal areas rather than complying with the township’s ordinance to tie into public sewer since there are two buildings on the lot.
• Potential health risks associated with separation between the well and septic on the property as well as on the neighbors’ property because the Applicant refuses to comply with the township’s ordinance requiring 200-foot separation between well and septic.
Does this sound like something you want to live across from or have in your backyard? We do not think so.
Bottom line this commercial development does not belong in a residential development on a road that was built to serve a residential community.
Just because this is not in your neighborhood, don’t think that this will not happen to you some day.
Most boards and townships are only looking for a tax dollar and not looking out for your best interest.
It is up to all of us to pay attention and make sure these things are not allowed.
Please come out to the next Mansfield Township Planning Board meeting 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29 to show the board that we care about our community and do not want over development like this anywhere in our towns.
To learn more, visit our website, www.savesheffielddrive.com.
Bob DeFlece
Mansfield Township,
Joe Jones
Mansfield Township,
Jon Howard
Mansfield Township

