Buying Next to Open Land in Aurora? Check the Zoning First

A lot of move-up buyers in Aurora are looking for the same thing: more room, more trees and more space between them and the neighbors. A field or a stretch of woods next to the backyard can feel like a bonus. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it's just land nobody has built on yet.

What's on the table right now

Aurora City Council took a first reading on October 26 of a proposal to rezone about 13 acres on the west side of North Aurora Road, north of State Route 82, from R-3 residential to C-1 commercial. No developer or plan has been named. A public hearing was scheduled for November 9. According to a League of Women Voters observer report of the meeting, the change would also need voter approval and would go on the November 2027 ballot.

I'm not taking a side on this one. I'm using it because it's a good example of something every buyer should check, wherever they're looking.

Why Aurora is a little different

Aurora has sent rezonings to its voters before. In 2022, for example, a rezoning of land along Route 43 from residential to industrial went on the November ballot as Issue 18. That means a zoning change here can take a long time, and the result isn't settled until the votes are counted. For a buyer, that's a mixed bag: more time to see it coming, and more time living with the uncertainty.

Price what's protected, not what's empty

Our team weighs every purchase the same way: value, condition, cost, risk and what happens next. Open land next door is a "what happens next" question. Land that's protected, like parkland, a conservation easement or open space owned by a homeowners association, is one thing. Privately owned land zoned for houses, or that could be rezoned for something else, is another.

I've built homes through BAMCO Builders, and that changes how I look at a lot. What can go up on it, and next to it, is part of what the land is worth. I'd look at a house next to an empty parcel the same way.

How to check before you write an offer

• Look up the parcel. The Portage County Auditor's site shows who owns the land next door and how it's classified. If it's in the Summit County part of Aurora, use the Summit County Fiscal Office.
• Check the zoning map. The city's zoning map shows what the neighboring land is zoned for today. Call the planning department if the map is hard to read.
• Look for pending applications. Search council and planning commission agendas for the street name, and ask the planning department whether anything has been filed.
• Read the HOA documents. If the "open space" belongs to an association, the documents should say what can and can't happen there.
• Ask about wetlands and flood zones. Some land stays open because it's hard to build on. That's useful to know too.

If you're buying land to build on yourself, that's a longer checklist, which we covered in our post on buying land to build a custom home in Aurora.

Commercial isn't always a negative

Not everyone sees a nearby store or office the same way. For some buyers, it's noise and traffic. For others, it's a coffee shop they can walk to. What matters is that you know what's possible before you buy, so you're pricing the house you'll actually live in, not the view you hope stays.

Don't overpay for a view you don't control

If two houses are similar and one backs up to private, unprotected land, I wouldn't pay a big premium for that view. I wouldn't panic and lowball it either. The honest answer is that nobody knows what that land will be in 10 years. Price it as a nice feature that could change, and enjoy it for as long as it lasts.

"What happens next" works in your favor sometimes, too. We wrote recently about what Aurora Park at Geauga Lake means for move-up buyers. A new public park nearby is a "what happens next" item on the positive side. Look at both before you decide where to buy.

If you already live nearby

If you own a home near the North Aurora Road parcel, the public hearing and council meetings are the place to ask questions, and if it goes to the ballot, you'll get a vote. If you're selling nearby, describe your home and its surroundings accurately. That always works out better than a buyer finding something out on their own.

If you're thinking about buying or selling in Aurora, schedule a time with me or someone on our team at 21mike.com.

Mike Ferrante
The Mike Team at LPT Realty
www.21mike.com
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