By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green is about to grow by 160 acres to the east.
On Wednesday evening, the city planning commission voted to annex two chunks of farmland south of Bowling Green Road East in Center Township. The annexations were petitioned for by the landowners following discussions with Bowling Green Economic Development officials.
According to BG Planning Director Heather Sayler, there are no specific plans for the acreage, but just a plan “for potential future growth.”
BG Economic Development Director Kati Thompson said Thursday morning that the city is just planning ahead.
“We know it will be more marketable if it’s already annexed and zoned for development,” Thompson said.
All of Bowling Green’s business parks are “nearing completion,” she said. “There are some lots available at each, but no larger parcels.”
The annexation petitions had already been approved by the Wood County Commissioners. The requests must go through one more step of being approved by BG City Council.
The two annexation requests cover:
- 65.6 acres south of Bowling Green Road East, also known as East Wooster Street as it heads out of the city. The frontage of this acreage is located between 14771 and 14801 Dirlam Road. The owner is listed as Laurel Krone.
- 95 acres located on the south side of East Wooster Street, on the opposite side of the road from the Meijer store. The address is 10433 E. Bowling Green Road. The owners are listed as Ronald and Linda Joseph.
The 160 acres are currently zoned for agricultural use. In preparation for future development of the properties and at the request of the city’s economic development office, the planning commission voted to approve interim zoning of the acreage as Innovation and Employment zoning. That is the same zoning designation as adjoining properties in the city, Sayler said.
Despite the zoning change, the properties can continue to be farmed until potential development occurs, Sayler said.
Bowling Green has four business parks at various stages of filling up:
Bellard Business Park
Centered in Bowling Green’s northwest industrial area, Bellard Business Center provides shovel-ready sites for small to midsize businesses. Sites are zoned for industrial, high-tech, and professional office use.
Hoffman Commerce Park
Also in the city’s northwest industrial area, Hoffman Commerce Park provides a blank slate for industrial development. With 36.89 acres zoned for industrial, high-tech, and professional office use, Hoffman is poised for a variety of industrial development opportunities.
Woodbridge Business Park
Being the premier location for access to the U.S. market, on the east side of Bowling Green off Dunbridge Road near Interstate 75, Woodbridge Business Park is in its second phase of development. As a mature business park with successful long-standing industries, Bowling Green recognized the need for expanding Woodbridge to meet the growing demand for industrial land right along I-75 and just down the road from Interstate 80/90. This second phase of Woodbridge offers land to the east and south of the park with a variety of lot sizes available.
John Quinn Innovative Tech Park
Located within one mile of I-75, off Napoleon Road on the east side of Bowling Green, John Quinn Innovative Tech Park offers shovel-ready sites with fully established utility infrastructure. Zoned for industrial, high-tech and professional office use, this park has 29 acres of available land for either single-use or divided for multiple uses.
