UPDATE @12:50 a.m. 9/15/2015
Huber Heights City Council unanimously agreed Monday night to table an ordinance indefinitely that proposed opening a private residential academy.
Just hours before Huber Heights City Council was expected to reject Concept 1 Academy LLC’s plan, the company filed a notice of withdrawal with the city.
The process does allow for Concept 1 Academy to file another application if it chooses to do so, Huber Heights City Manager Rob Schommer said.
Concept 1 Academy co-owners Tari Darr and Jake Decker were not at Monday night’s meeting.
“We had given it its full consideration in the process through public hearings, and generated a lot of public input and comment,” Schommer said. “We were fully prepared to give it its due process.”
If council would have voted Monday night to reject the plan, Concept 1 Academy would have had to wait a year before filing a “relatively similar application,” assistant city manager Scott Falkowski said last week.
In late July, the city’s Planning Commission denied Concept 1 Academy’s request after several residents expressed concerns about the proposed facility.
Darr previously said she hoped to open the facility in October. The facility would have housed up to 32 male students ages 16 to 18 years old.
The 6.39-acre property, formerly LaMendola Elementary School, has been unoccupied since 2011. Concept 1 Academy is under contract to purchase the building, and Darr said last week the closing was expected to occur within the next 10 days.
Concept 1 Academy’s initial request was unanimously approved 4-0 by the Planning Commission on May 12.
But city officials determined in June that Concept 1 Academy’s original application did not fit the definition of a school according to city and state code.
Concept 1 Academy withdrew its original application and submitted a new application, which included an on-site K-12 program for core subjects such as math, science and reading.
The city’s special legal counsel determined that the new application did meet the definition of a school, as provided, if Concept 1 Academy followed state requirements.
Concept 1 Academy — a for-profit organization — won the bid in an auction in April to acquire the 35,000-square-foot building for $19,000 from Huber Heights City Schools.
FIRST REPORT @4:50 p.m. 9/14/2015
The company proposing to open a private residential academy in Huber Heights that sparked controversy in the city has officially withdrawn its application.
Just hours before Huber Heights City Council was expected to reject Concept 1 Academy LLC’s plan, the company filed a notice of withdrawal with the city, effective at 3 p.m. today. City Council meets at 7 p.m. today.
The Public Works Committee determined last week that it would recommend to uphold Planning Commission’s unanimous decision to deny Concept 1 Academy’s request to change the use of the property at 5363 Tilbury Road.
No reason was given by Concept 1 Academy as to why it withdrew its application.
Concept 1 Academy co-owner Tari Darr confirmed the action this afternoon when reached by phone, but was not immediately available to comment further.
Huber Heights City Manager Rob Schommer said since the application was voluntarily withdrawn, the issue will be tabled indefinitely and pulled off tonight’s agenda.
