This June 2023 drawing shows the proposed Hollobuck Subdivision that would be built if a 72-acre Olmsted Township property is annexed to Berea. of Joseph and Suzanne Hollo’s request to annex a 72-acre rural Olmsted Township parcel to Berea so 162 single-family homes can be built has led the Hollos’ legal counsel to take action against County Council.
The Hollos have tried for years to annex the property to Berea, with the number of proposed home sites shifting from an initial 293 to 200, and now to 162.on Oct. 16 that the Hollos’ attorney filed a writ of mandamus with the Eighth District Court of Appeals on Sept. 7. “an order … ordering the government official to properly fulfill their official duties or correct an abuse of discretion,” according to the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School.The proposed Hollobuck Subdivision would tie into Berea’s existing city services and infrastructure, such as sewer, water, street maintenance and safety forces. Berea officials contend the development would create a hardship for the city. Property taxes generated would go to Olmsted Township.
“The action is against County Council, and the city is not a party to this,” Jones stressed to Berea City Council. “The prosecutor’s office represents County Council, and they filed a motion to dismiss. The petitioner, or landowner in this case, asked for a continuance … so the next due date is Oct. 27.”“If the writ of mandamus is issued, meaning County Council has to approve the annexation, it will still come back to Berea City Council for their vote,” Jones said.