William Condry "Bill" Whitlatch

WHITLATCH William Condry (Bill) Whitlatch passed away on March 2, 2014 at his home in Worthington, Ohio. Son of the late Judge Walter G, and Evelyn O. Whitlatch, Bill was born June 21,1939, grew up in suburban Cleveland, graduated from Charles F. Brush High School and received his degree in Architecture from Pennsylvania State University and his Masters of City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania. He served as planning coordinator for the initial development of Cleveland State University and was employed as a Senior Planner by the Regional Planning Commission where he prepared the initial Master Plan for the City of Brecksville. He served as the Director of Planning for Cleveland’s Poverty Program and later established the consulting firm of Urban Research & Planning which prepared Master Plans and development regulations for numerous municipalities and counties in northeastern Ohio including the cities of Twinsburg and Kirtland Hills, Kirtland Village and Geauga County. As planning consultant to the City of Twinsburg, he helped the City adopt its Planned Development district regulations and convince Forest City to annex some 600 acres of Township land into the City to create Ethan’s Green. In 1974, he joined with a local builder to develop and construct the first Senior Citizen public housing in Cleveland’s outer suburbs. From 1976 to 1980 he served as Assistant General Manager of the Land Division of Forest City Enterprises where he developed subdivisions throughout northeastern Ohio. In 1983, he partnered with Bob Pruchnicki to create Whitlatch & Co. as the developer and builder of condominium communities featuring one and a half story Cape Cod styled attached dwellings designed to appeal to successful middle class seniors. Over the next 20 years the company developed some 29 communities in Twinsburg and Twinsburg Township containing 1029 homes which today range in price from under $100,000 to over $500,000. In 1988, the company was building in five different communities and was ranked by Inc Magazine as the 11th fastest growing company in the State. During the early 1990’s the company averaged 250 home sales per year and was ranked the largest volume Home Builder in northeastern Ohio. In the mid 1990’s, Bill undertook the commercial redevelopment of downtown Twinsburg with the development of Twinsburg Town Center and Creekside Commerce Center which today is home of the Twinsburg Academic Center of Kent State. With the demise of the housing market in 2007, Bill closed out Whitlatch & Co and retired to Worthington, Ohio to be close to his daughter’s family. Bill was a Trustee of the Building Industry Association of greater Cleveland and served as Chairman of the Northeastern Ohio Home Builder’s Coalition. He was a long time member of the Twinsburg Chamber of Commerce and for many years sponsored the annual Twins Day parade. From 1996 until 2009 he resided in Glen Eagle Lane. Bill is survived by his wife of 50 years Janice Compton Whitlatch, daughter and son-in-law, Laura A. and Ronald L. Ferencz of New Albany, OH, grandsons, Ryan L. and Dylan J. Ferencz and brother Norman R. Whitlatch and sister-in-law Jo Whitlatch of Menlo Park, CA. A Memorial Service will be held on March 14, 2014, at 11:00 AM, at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 700 High Street, Worthington, OH. Memorial Contributions may be made to American Cancer Society or Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Worthington, OH.