M/I Homes plan for townhomes near Tuttle Crossing mall would worsen traffic, locals say

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- Residents say plans to build a townhome neighborhood near Dublin's Mall at Tuttle Crossing would increase traffic accidents, causing "a fatality sooner or later."

M/I Homes' proposal calls for the "Townes at Tuttle" development to feature 148 townhomes on a 21.8-acre site at the southwest corner of Tuttle Crossing Boulevard and Hirth Road. The plan received a second round of review on Oct. 10 by the city's planning and zoning commission, where neighboring locals said they are concerned the development would worsen traffic.

"I don't think the neighbors really have any objection with the construction of the project. However, the traffic implications are severe," resident Robert Abbruzzi said. "Someone is going to get into an accident. There's gonna be a fatality sooner or later."

Abbruzzi and other neighbors argued Townes at Tuttle would further congest Hirth Road and make it difficult for drivers turning left onto Britton Parkway. Dan Forson, another local resident, said he is concerned Hirth Road, which his family uses for biking and dog walking, could become unsafe.

"The lack of sidewalks and lighting in the area, adding that plan into it, I wouldn't allow [my kids] to go down the road at all," Forson said. "Taking kids' areas where they exercise and ride bikes and walk seems like a very bad idea."

Several members of the planning and zoning commission said they are in favor of M/I developing the site if they can adjust the proposal to mitigate possible traffic issues.

"My vote will depend on how the traffic works, and if the traffic is solved in a way that doesn't create problems for the residents and the community," commissioner Gary Alexander said. "I think ultimately that will probably determine whether or not I support this."

Commissioner Kim Way noted that the city's community plan calls for the site to be mixed-use, arguing the development would benefit from a variety of residential-unit types. Commission chair Rebecca Call took issue with the development's "increased density and intensity" and agreed with Way that the proposal should include different architectural designs.

"I think it would be a shame to drive into a neighborhood and try to count houses to figure out which one was yours as you were driving down the street," said Call. "Introducing a variety can mitigate that concern."