![Developer Danny Karam plans to build 146 townhomes on this 28-acre site that used to be Sycamore Valley Golf Course. [Jennifer Conn / WKSU]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b9c651d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x3024+0+0/resize/840x630!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fimages%2Fnews%2Fnpr%2F2019%2F04%2F711494069_1164260321.jpg)
Cuyahoga Falls City Council has approved a zoning change that will enable residential redevelopment at the former Sycamore Valley Golf Course.
Council’s approval changes the property’s zoning from E-1 to R-3, clearing the way for developer Danny Karam and Ryan Homes proposed construction of 146 townhomes.
Residents have opposed the development on Akron-Peninsula Road in the Merriman Valley since late last year.
They say the 28-acre property is too close to a 100-year flood plain already stressed by development above the valley. They also contend it defiles the rural nature of the area, which is adjacent to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Next steps include a site master plan with a flood plain survey and traffic study, which must submitted to the city’s Planning Commission before moving to City Council.
Following that, a detailed subdivision plan must clear both bodies before construction can begin, officials said.
The process is expected to take two to three months. Copyright 2019 WKSU. To see more, visit WKSU.