It isn't often that action by Granville Township Trustees gets a hearty round of applause. But it happened Wednesday night.

A capacity audience at the Old Academy Building put its hands together when trustees agreed to sell to Kendal at Granville as many as 30 acres for its Continuing Care Retirement Center just off Ohio 16, west of the village.

"We've got to have somebody who's opposed to this," said Trustees Chairman Jim Havens, tongue in cheek, as he searched the audience prior to the township board's action. No one was.

Trustees approved a resolution to sell to Kendal just less than 30 acres of its property next to 60 acres Kendal is leasing from Denison University for the retirement center.

The property to be sold was acquired by the township with unrestricted township funds.

"We can buy other open space with that money," Havens said of the proceeds.

Township Clerk Norman Kennedy said the resolution sets up a framework for negotiations with the Kendal board. That framework will also include a license agreement between the township trustees and Kendal to allow Kendal to build an irrigation system for wastewater treatment on township property downhill from the retirement center.

Kendal plans to approach the village of Granville for water service. The village line runs along Ohio 16 out to the Owens-Corning research center.

Attorney Rob Drake, representing Kendal, said its board is willing to pay fair market price for the land. Trustees will have the property appraised at Kendal's expense.

The action nearly brings to an end Kendal's long battle to establish itself in Granville. It originally sought property at the intersection of Burg and New Burg Streets in northwest Granville Township until opposition in the community persuaded it to withdraw. High traffic counts and insufficient water on the site were the opposition's chief fears.

One New Burg Street resident, Laurel Kennedy, complimented Kendal's new location.

"I know this represents a real shift for the Kendal board," Kennedy said. "I'm very grateful for that change. Having come from the other side of this, I thought it would be good to come and stand in support."