Login | June 10, 2026
A city with a unique rural feel
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: October 18, 2012
With a population of around 14,300 and about 27 square miles of land, New Franklin has the distinction of being Ohio’s newest city, but it still maintains its rural roots.
“The residents made it clear several years before we became a city that they did not want New Franklin to be like Green or Barberton, with all the hustle and bustle of a city,” said Mayor Al Bollas.
“We still have a lot of farming and we do not have that many large businesses. We simply do not have the infrastructure to support that kind of development.”
Located at the southern edge of Summit County, the area originally known as Franklin Township, was founded in 1817. The village of New Franklin was formed using two square miles of the township in 1997 to stop annexation attempts from neighboring cities.
The area expanded significantly by November 2003, when the residents of the township and village voted to merge the two entities, rendering Franklin Township defunct when it took effect on Jan. 1, 2005. The village officially became a city just over a year later on March 6, 2006.
Long before its change in status, the township trustees, including officials in the village, developed a land use plan that continues to govern development.
“In 2000, we sent surveys to all the residents asking them what they wanted,” said Mark Kochheiser, zoning and grants coordinator in New Franklin. “We had a fairly good response and the message was clear. The residents did not want to be like neighboring communities, however, they did want to have professional services like office space, grocery, hardware and drug stores at their disposal.
“They were satisfied with the services but wanted more parkland, however, they did not want a tax increase, and they wanted the rural character maintained. Thus we don’t have a lot of wide streets and we’ve kept our open farmland and woodland areas. We are a city in name only.”
The land use plan was approved in 2004 and it does contain some changes.
While the city does not have a “designated downtown,” Zoning Administrator Barry Ganoe said officials are looking to further develop its commercial corridors along Manchester Road (State Route 93) and West Turkeyfoot Lake Road (Route 619).
“We need to bring in more sewer and water so the growth can begin,” said Ganoe.
There are several manufacturing companies including Clinton Machine Company and Clinton Aluminum & Stainless Steel, both on Van Buren Road, Rubber Associates Inc. on West Turkeyfoot Lake Road and Phillips Machine & Stamping Corp. on South Main Street.
“The largest employer is the school system,” said Bollas. “We have four schools districts within the city; all of Manchester and parts of Coventry, Norton and Northwest schools.
“Hi-Way Distributing is in the process of setting up in the former Manchester Tool and that will create about 80 jobs,” said Bollas.
The bulk of the city’s revenue comes from tourism as people flock to the area to visit several attractions including Portage Lakes.
“We like to advertise ourselves as home to the Portage Lakes, and we have a lot of places for tourists to eat like Prime 93 at Anthe’s Restaurant, Dietz’s Landing and the Upper Deck,” said Bollas.
“The restaurants are spread out throughout New Franklin,” said Ganoe. “One of our biggest assets is Portage Lakes State Park. It is one of the most visited state parks. The Towpath Trail is another jewel, which attracts a lot of bikers and hikers.”
Tourists also visit the historic Tudor House. The 20-room, two-story, brick and stucco mansion sits on 5.8 acres adjacent to the Portage Lakes State Park and has 334 feet of frontage on the west shore of Turkeyfoot Lake. The house is an example of Tudor revival-style architecture and features arched doorways, a carved-wood staircase and a prominent Tudor arch fireplace with oak paneling and exposed beams in the living room.
On April 20, 1995 the Tudor House, formerly the Frank Mason Raymond House, was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. The Tudor House grounds are often rented for weddings, receptions and other private parties.
“It is a very friendly community,” said Bollas. “In addition to the boating, swimming and hiking opportunities, we have the lowest crime rate in the county.
“Most of our residents have been here for three generations and those who grew up here are moving back.”
Bollas moved to New Franklin in 1963, attending the local high school. He raised his family in New Franklin and his oldest son is raising his family in the city. “My grandkids are going to the same school system that I did.”
Although New Franklin offers a calm and serene environment in which to live, it did not escape the downturn altogether.
“We did not have any layoffs, we don’t owe any money and our budget is balanced,” said Bollas. “Residents did not get a local tax increase, but we did have some foreclosures,” said Bollas. “We are using $37,500 in Moving Ohio Forward funding to help with the problem.
“Our median household income is $52,000 and we have a 2.6 percent poverty level.”
Ganoe said the city is currently working on improving its zoning classifications. “We are trying to bring uniformity to the area around Portage Lakes. We want the entire lakefront to have the same classification; right now 5 percent of it is different.
“We are also rezoning some areas on Manchester Road so we can continue to expand the commercial district to the south. There is some discussion of finding more commercial uses for Cleveland Massillon Road in the future,” Ganoe said.
“In the next 10 years, I would like to see more of a streetscape environment along the Portage Lakes area complete with walkable streets and nice street lighting,” said Kochheiser.
“I would also like to add bike trails alongside our major roads and maybe the reservoir area.”
“We are also looking to enhance our parks outside the state park and bring in more recreational facilities,” said Ganoe.
“If we can improve our water and sanitary sewer services, we will be able to expand our business districts and attract more high-quality good paying jobs for residents, while keeping the same rural flavor,” Ganoe said.