Story by Andy McDonald
Thirty-nine single family homes were recently approved in Berea’s Central Park Subdivision, a move that will facilitate a long-delayed completion of the neighborhood. The above home on Central Park Avenue, and others in the approved project, are being constructed by Todd Development.
After 30+ Years, Central Park is On Track for Completion
One local neighborhood will finally be completed after a recent decision by the Berea Planning Commission.
At the June 9 business meeting, P&Z officials approved a plan submitted by the Oliver Family Estate and Todd Development to finally finish Central Park Subdivision with 39 single-family homes. The project will also facilitate safety and infrastructure improvements in the neighborhood, and help provide much needed housing, according to planning officials.
The late Roger Oliver first submitted development plans for Central Park Subdivision in 1995 with a vision of providing quality, affordable homes to meet the needs of a growing city. That vision moved one step closer to reality with the recent commission vote.
Representing the Oliver Estate, Dwayne Wheatley of Abacus Engineering presented a revised development plan, noting that he and the Oliver heirs, as well as Todd Development, had worked to address concerns raised at previous public meetings.
Wheatley also requested variances for the plat, which included a smaller lot width for one single-family home plot from 80 feet wide to approximately 70 feet wide. A request for roll curbs was also included.
In response, the commission unanimously approved the preliminary plat and the requested variances, clearing the way for the completion of the final undeveloped tract of the Central Park Subdivision. Commissioner Ben Robinson III, who was married to the late Brandy Oliver Brown, abstained from both the discussion and the voting.
Before the final vote, city officials expressed their gratitude and appreciation to both the Oliver family and Todd Development for their patience and flexibility throughout the review process.
The June 9 decision marks an important milestone for the neighborhood. Since Roger Oliver introduced the first preliminary plat for the subdivision in 1995, the real estate market had its ups and downs, and future development of the neighborhood was, at times, uncertain. Then, Roger Oliver passed away in 2017.
Since then, however, Central Park has evolved over the past 30-plus years to provide a variety of housing options to meet the needs of a growing population, including both single-family and multi-family dwellings. Additionally, streets built for the neighborhood now provide the traffic connectivity Oliver had envisioned, linking U.S. 25 and Menelaus Road.
When questioned by officials, Wheatley said he expected work on the development to begin soon.
