Sudachi Gateway

The Sudachi Gateway redevelopment plan, centered on 20 acres at the intersection of North Dixie Drive and Sudachi Drive – and includes the former Murlin Heights school property – is designed to provide a small-scale entryway for the residents of Butler Township. You can see the proposed concept here Final Development Concept.

With two undeveloped corners at this intersection, the Township felt that it would be beneficial to develop a plan that would require interested developers to incorporate certain elements that would make this area an attractive destination for Township residents.  Landscaped areas or outdoor seating could be installed at each corner to provide a focal point along North Dixie Drive. A civic green space and parking area could also be built across from the Government Center for use by patrons and employees in the area.

The plan provides building layouts to envision the size and scale of uses that could be incorporated in the site, but the commercial uses could be interchangeable, depending on the potential user. Proposed uses would include uses found in the Local Commercial/Service District (LC/S-2), such as smaller scale retail, restaurants or coffee shops, office, and personal service uses. Single or two family residential uses could also be incorporated at the West end of the development, to allow for a buffer between the existing residential zoning and commercial uses. An alternate layout of a small scale conference center is also shown as an alternate to residential townhome buildings on the proposed concept.

Update: April 2023

In April 2023, a rezoning request and preliminary plan for the Sudachi Gateway area was withdrawn by the developer. The withdraw came following the Zoning Commission recommending denial of the request to rezone the property from a local commercial service designation to a planned mixed-use development that would include 1.3 acres of commercial uses and 13.6 acres of triplex and duplex residential rental units.

This was the first development plan submitted for site. The property owners and the township will continue to consider other development opportunities.

Here are attachments related to the Sudachi Gateway Redevelopment Plan:

Newsletter articles

Sudachi Gateway concepts

Final Development Concept

FAQs

What is Sudachi Gateway?

Sudachi Gateway is a development concept centered on 20 acres at the intersection of North Dixie Drive and Sudachi Drive. It is a joint project that includes Butler Township, the Vandalia-Butler School District and SLM Properties, LLC.

How is the Township protecting the wetlands that are part of the project area?

The Sudachi Gateway concept plan includes the site of the former Murlin Heights School, currently owned by the Vandalia Butler School District. On the site, there is a designated wetland.  The concept plan will be used as a tool to preserve the wetland area, while also enhancing the natural buffer to the commercial area.

What is being done by the Township to accommodate residents’ concerns about the Sudachi Gateway project?

One of the many attractive features of Butler Township is its location. That feature also makes the Township an area of interest to all manner of developers – and also drives the Township’s ongoing struggles with land grabs through annexation. Township leaders are committed to direct these developments in a way that provides maximum benefits to Township residents while minimizing their impact. We do this by expressing the Township’s development parameters through a comprehensive plan and the Miller Lane/North Dixie Corridor Plan ensuring all Township zoning is strictly enforced and involving residents in every step of the development process to ensure their right to voice ideas and concerns.

The Sudachi Gateway plan has been and will continue to be developed according to these development principles. The conceptual plan was designed to steer desirable development for the North Dixie/Sudachi area. Without this plan, the Township and its residents would have had minimal say in what could be developed there, provided it followed existing zoning rules. In addition to preserving the wetland area, it will provide a buffer of additional residential homes between the existing residential parcels and commercial property. If and when the Sudachi Gateway development moves forward, the process provides for additional resident input.

What is the status of the Sudachi Gateway development?

In April 2021, the development team retained the architectural firm McGill Smith Punshon to develop concepts for the Sudachi Gateway. The development team, after input from township leaders and property owners in the project area, completed the final concept in September 2021. You can see it here Final Development Concept.

What happens next?

The next step in the Sudachi Gateway development is the proposal of a zoning amendment. The Zoning Commission will then hold a public hearing – which will be advertised and mailed to everyone within 200 feet of project area. This will provide ample opportunity for additional public input. Based on that public input, and on the project details, the Zoning Commission will make a recommendation to the Butler Township Board of Trustees, who will then vote on the zoning amendment.

Update: March, 2023

Case ZC 2-23: Rezoning and Preliminary Plan at 8515 N. Dixie Drive, Dayton OH from LCS-2, Local Commercial Service to PD-3, Planned Mixed-Use Development

A rezoning application and preliminary development plan was submitted by Pride One Contruction to rezone the former Murlin Heights property, located at 8515 N. Dixie Drive, from LCS-2, Local Commercial Service to PD-3, Mixed Use Development. The proposal includes 1.3 acres of commercial development and 13.6 acres of duplex and triplex residential units, including private streets, walking trails, and a clubhouse.

Under the current zoning, only commercial uses are permitted. The proposed rezoning would allow for mixed-use, including multi-family residential. The Zoning Commission will hear this case on March 21, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. The recommendation will then be forwarded to the Board of Trustees to set a second public hearing for final approval or denial.

Following the rezoning, a detailed Final Development Plan will also have to be submitted and follow the public hearing process and final approval from the Board of Trustees.

All necessary zoning permits, engineering and site plan review, building permits, and any necessary review and permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, pertaining to the wetland area, will have to be obtained, prior to construction on the site.

ZC 2-23 Rezoning 8515 N. Dixie