Public hearing held regarding annexing Discount Drug Mart property from Hinckley to Brunswick

MEDINA — The Medina County commissioners will soon decide if a parcel of land owned by Discount Drug Mart in Hinckley Township can be annexed to the city of Brunswick. A public hearing was held on Tuesday where people from all sides testified regarding annexing the property that is at Center Road and West 130th Street in Hinckley Township. At the Hinckley trustees board meeting on June 7, 2022, Trustee Melissa Augustine and Trustee Monique Ascherl voted no to establish a Community Reinvestment Area agreement for the property that would give Drug Mart a 50 percent tax abatement for 15 years. Then, on Jan. 31, Drug Mart's Vice President of Real Estate Operations Tom Lunt signed a petition for annexation to Brunswick. "We ran into some initial issues with the township on the development of the property," Lunt said. "For those initial issues, it became clear to us that the city of Brunswick would be easier to work with throughout the development process, especially the building department." Lunt said if the property were to be annexed into Brunswick, Drug Mart would have a 100 percent tax abatement for 15 years. "That is probably the biggest factor, not to Drug Mart and their reason for the annexation, but in this equation, we've got to do the balancing between the detriments and the benefits," said Dan Calvin, who was representing Drug Mart. "Frankly, the dollars and cents speak for themselves." The Hinckley trustees revisited the CRA at its April 4 meeting, and the trustees voted to approve the 50 percent tax abatement for the property. Augustine said she had a "change of heart" since last June regarding the CRA. "Speaking for myself on behalf of the Hinckley Township residents, I'm opposed to annexation," she said. "Based on our vote, I would say that the board fully supports Drug Mart being there and has offered the CRA." At the public hearing, Al Schrader, who was representing Hinckley Township, asked how West 130th Street would be maintained if a small part of the road would now be under Brunswick's jurisdiction. Brunswick's Service and Streets Director Paul Barnett said the city has maintenance agreements with other public entities to do entire sections of roadways even though a portion of the road is in a different municipality. "There's 135 feet that the county, at least for now, would continue to maintain under existing service agreements between Medina County and the city of Brunswick," Brunswick's Law Director Ken Fisher said. Hinckley Police Chief David Centner and Hinckley Fire Chief Jestin Grossenbaugh said they oppose the annexation because there may be confusion on which safety services should respond to an incident in the area, which could cause a delay in response. Hinckley resident Cindy Engelman said she has concerns that more properties along West 130th Street will be annexed to the city from the township, which would cost the township part of its tax base. Fisher said the city has no plans to do so and that the two communities are good neighbors. "We didn't ask for this petition, the city didn't," he said. Calvin said Drug Mart is within its rights as a private property owner to request annexation. "Saving money building properties economically is quite literally their job," he said. "We understand that takes money out of other people's pots and so on and so forth, but they absolutely have the duty to do that for their shareholders." Mike Lyons from the Medina County Prosecutor's Office said the commissioners have 30 days to issue a decision on the annexation. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.