Housing development: Foundation sells Leasure property for residential housing
ZANESVILLE − As many as 100 single-family homes may be built on Frazeysburg Road.
The Muskingum County Community Foundation has agreed to sell the former Leasure family farm at 3870 Frazeysburg Road to Steve Layman of Leasure Farm Development. Layman is residential developer from Newark. The parties have stipulated Layman will seek zoning for a planned unit development with a focus on single-family detached housing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We look forward to working with the City of Zanesville and the foundation to deliver a quality project. While we live in Newark, we are not strangers to Muskingum County,” said Layman. “My wife is a graduate of West Muskingum and OUZ and two of our kids graduated from Tri-Valley.”
The 74.5 acres, which will be known as Leasure Farms, could bring as many as 100 single-family, detached residences to the area. It also may include apartments, garden homes and condominiums.
“We have developed over 75,000 square feet of retail space in the area. There is no question the construction of residential housing has not kept up with the demand over the past decade. We are eager to help correct that imbalance,” Layman added.
MCCF received the property in 2014 as part of the estate of Aileen Leasure and recently began to actively pursue and market residential development on the site. This was after seeing the housing study commissioned by the City of Zanesville, Muskingum County Port Authority and various local banks.
Many of those in government have been working together now for three years to try and promote investment into housing developments, recognizing that much of the growth of the community depends upon housing, said Zanesville Mayor Don Mason.
"I am very excited that a person with strong ties to our community is investing in our future," said Mason.
The port authority and City of Zanesville have also been instrumental in working with MCCF to make the site more attractive for residential developers.
“We believe Mrs. Leasure would be proud to think her family’s farm will be the site of many future family moments and cherished memories,” said MCCF CEO Brian Wagner. “We want to thank Mr. Layman for sharing in this vision of residential neighborhoods on this property.”
The next step for the project is for Layman’s team to finalize the design of the development, then seek zoning approval through the city.
Information submitted by Muskingum County Community Foundation.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Leasure Farms single-family homes project coming on Frazeysburg Road
