MEDINA – County commissioners are weighing a proposal to donate about four acres of county property in Innovation Park to Lafayette Township for construction of a new fire station.

Lafayette Township voters approved a 2.5-mill levy to build a new fire station Nov. 8 and a week later Township Trustee Lynda Bowers presented the proposal to county commissioners for consideration.

The Innovation Park property is in Lafayette Township but controlled by the Medina County Port Authority through an agreement with county commissioners. The Port Authority has been trying unsuccessfully to attract developers to the technology park and just weeks ago signed a new agreement with SVN Summit Commercial Real Estate Group to market the property.

Bowers told commissioners she has discussed the idea of using land in Innovation Park with members of the Port Authority and is hoping to expedite an agreement that would turn the land over to Lafayette Township.

Bill Hutson said the Port Authority has had preliminary discussions about the land donation with Lafayette Township and expects to hold another meeting soon to work out details. Hutson serves on the board of the Port Authority and was elected county commissioner Nov. 8.

“Turning the land over from one government entity to another is a reasonable thing to do,” Hutson said. “It would also generate some activity at the park that could attract more interest from developers.”

Bethany Dentler, director of the Medina County Economic Development Corporation and an adviser to the Port Authority, said the Port Authority is hoping get some zoning concessions from Lafayette Township in return for its donation of land to the township. Those are expected to take the form of eliminating some of the township’s current setback requirements that could make the remaining land in Innovation Park more attractive to developers.

The Port Authority touts the 60-acre Innovation Park as a premier business property for the 21st Century with exceptional communications capabilities provided by the county’s fiber network loop and easy access to technical training for a workforce at the neighboring Medina County University Center.

Both the University Center and Innovation Park have been built on land that was donated by the county and was once a working farm that helped support the Medina County Home located nearby. A $1.2 million grant from the State of Ohio provided county commissioners with the funds to build the infrastructure for the technology park and University Center.

Bowers told county commissioners that Lafayette Township hopes to have the new fire station in operation one year from today.

The 2.5-mill levy approved by township voters is expected to generate about $270,000 per year and $4 million over 15 years to build the new fire station.

Bowers said township firemen answer about 700 calls a year from the 70-year-old current station at 6776 Wedgewood Road.

County Commissioner Adam Smith said a fire station on the property could be a benefit to prospective developers at Innovation Park. He also said commissioners would await a recommendation from the Port Authority before agreeing to the land donation to Lafayette Township.