September 15, 2006 Cleveland Planning Commission Summary

This one took me longer to type up then expected. As you read it you will see why.
The next one will probably take a while as well - there is a lot of information.

9:05 AM

Present:
Bowen
Brown
Cimperman
Coyne
Kuri
Lumpkin
Pinkney

Absent:
Small

ZONING (all approved)

1. Ordinance No. 1214-06: Changes the Use and Area Districts of lands on the westerly side of East 55 th Street between Sweeney Avenue (vacated) and Track Road to a Residence Industry District and a “B” Area District.
Many residents in the area of the proposed rezoning were present. Those in favor include:
Coucilman Bracatelli - "Trying to clean up the conflicting zoning issues in the area."
Tracey Reed (resident) - "The scrapyard is under an induction... recent explosions."
Joseph Hughs (resident) - "...debris left from semis on the road... health hazard"
Peter Bazuk (resident) - "...constant path of mud on the road left from the trucks"
Joyce C (resident) - "...weeds along the tracks"
Gary H. (resident) - "I used to work at the railyards formerly occupied in the area. It is has not, as previously stated, always been a scrapyard."
Marlene W. (resident) - "The scrapyard has not been a good neighbor."
Susan Gorden (resident) - spoke on behalf of a resident who could not be there
Eric Mitchell (resident) - "This place is having a detrimental effect on the youth of the area. They do not want to go to school - they want to be scrapers."
Tom O'Bian (resident) - Reiterated previous comment
Carolyn S. (resident) - "This does not help a neighborhood that is trying to regrow."
Councilwoman Cleveland - Introduce legislation, "This can make or break the neighborhood... We need businesses, but not ones that break the law."

Those that spoke against the rezoning:
Megan Roberts, attorney for Ian Abrams owner of Scrapyard, LLC. - "Abrams employees 31 truckers as sub-contractors and 12 contracted, on-site workers."
"My client works with local steelyards"
"They do not take scrap from people off of the street."
"Once before, the parcel in question was rezoned to Residence Industry but then was rezoned back."
"The proposed parcel rezoning is not, as was previously stated, adjacent - nor will it ever be - to residential land."
"The CSX tracks act as a natural buffer between my clients business and the residential area."

Greg Abrams (son of owner) -
"..fourth generation business... have worked hard with the neighborhood and stakeholders..."
"We were no the tenants three years ago when the yard was cited"
"We have offered to make parkland at some areas of the neighborhood."
"We do not have a wheel washer but have paved 80% of the of the drivable area of the yard."
"We do not take in peddlers."
"2% of incoming scrap is from small trucks... we take down license plate numbers"
re: Public Health: "We have an OSHA rep on site."
They dispute the claim they are not neighborly or charitable.

A motion for approval was made and passed with five votes and one abstention by Lumpkin.

2. Ordinance No. 1285-06: Changes the Use Districts of parcels fronting on East 140th St. from Lakeshore Boulevard to Saint Clair Avenue; from a General Retail and Semi-Industry to Local Retail Business.
The owner of a parcel in the proposed area (City Rose) spoke up against the zoning change. He is concerned about the wording regarding the setback for parking and whether or not this would be a taking.
The rezoning was approved with exception of the previously mentioned parcel which was tabled for another date.

3. Ordinance No. 1549-06: Former Law Director and counsel for affected business owner asks that the ordinance be tabled for two weeks. The issue regards the wording in the ordinance that states a business has 18 months to vacate a parcel that has been rezoned from a General Industry to a Residence Use.

MANDATORY REFERRALS (all approved)

1. Ordinance No. 1447-06: Authorizes the sale of City-owned property located at East 30th Street off of Hamilton Avenue to State Industrial Products, Inc. (SIP - Formerly State Chemical)
Because of the impending construction on the Innerbelt and relocation of the Innerbelt curve, the bridge structure (14,300 sq ft) that currently is used for 40 parking spaces for SIP is proposed to come down. SIP will demo 38,000 sq ft of their manufacturing building to make room for a new employee parking lot and construct a new manufacturing facility on land on East 30th Street and Hamilton Avenue that will be vacated.

2. Ordinance 1456-06: Authorizes the application and acceptance of a grant from the United States Environmental Agency to implement the Morgana Run Project, and to employ one or more professional consultants to perform an environmental clean up of the property located at 3542 East5 71st Street.

3. Ordinance No. 1477-06: Authorizes the director of Parks, Recreation ad Properties and Port Control to enter into a Second Amendment to the Mather Museum Lease Agreement with the Harbor Heritage Society to allow assignment of the Lease Agreement to The Great Lakes Museum of Science. Environment and Technology d/b/a The Great Lakes Science Center.

ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL (all approved)

1. ORDINANCE NO. 1450-06: Amends Sections 3, 4 and 5 of Ordinance 971-05, passed June 6, 2005, relating to the improvement of Euclid Avenue between Public Square and East 70th Street by reconstructing or abandoning sidewalk vaults.
This will help reduce the cost to property owners due to the Euclid Corridor construction

SUMMARY CALENDAR (all approved)

1. Ordinance No. 1269-06: Vacates a portion of Penn Court N.W.

2. Ordinance No. 1288-06: To add the name John Melvin Street as a secondary name to east 115th St. between Mayfield Rd. and Cornell Rd.

3. Ordinance 1268-06: Gives consent of the City of Cleveland to the Board of County Commissioners for the repair of the West 49th Street/Herman Avenue Bridge No. 194 over the West Shoreway

4. Ordinance No. 1270-06: Authorizes the acquisition of certain easement interests from Cleveland State University for the public improvement of the Euclid Corridor

5. Ordinance No. 1288-06: To add the name John Melvin Street as a secondary name to East 115th Street between Mayfield road and Cornell Road.

6. Ordinance No. XXXX-06 (To be Introduced): Union Miles District Business Revitalization District Expansion.

7. Three additional Landbank Ordinances were added to the summary calender regarding properties on East 172nd, 127th and 83rd streets

LOT SPLITS (all approved)

1. Fulton Road and Mabel Court

2. 1856 East 89th Street

SPECIAL PRESENTATION (approved)

Ohio & Erie Canalway National Scenic Byway: Broadway leg, Proposed route changes.

DESIGN REVIEW (all approved)

1. DRC 06-128: East 118th Street, between Euclid and Wade Park, Wade Park Townhomes, new construction.
These homes are designed by City Architecture. From Weatherheadlines: Alumni Connection

Five NY-style townhouses are being built on the Case campus directly across from the new $120 million athletic fields and dormitories. The front door is the new baseball diamond. The $280-315,000 townhouses have full basements, attics and 2.5 car garages with private, fully-sprinklered yards. Standard luxury features include a pantry desk center, mudroom, double height kitchen cabinets, real hardwood floors, built-in book shelves at the top and bottom of the stairs, laundry chutes and granite, marble and travertine countertops in the kitchens and bathrooms. Energy efficient features include sprayed insulation, tankless hot water heaters and double and triple-pane windows. Buyers receive a Case Community Access Card for the athletic fields, sporting events, check-out privileges at Kelvin Smith Library and discounted membership to use the Veale Athletic Center and indoor pool. The project is a unique partnership between University Circle, Case and The Doan Brook Company.

1a. DC 06-129: East 86th to East 89th Streets and Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland Clinic, Underground Service Center and Parking Garage, Foundation Permit/Footprint Approval
The architects of this new 200,000 sq ft garage are Collins Gordon Bostwick. The new 7-story garage will hold 4,000 cars. There will also be an attached logistic center and 14 - 16 receiving docks to support the Heart Center. The lower area of the garage will house services such as materials distribution which will connect to the rest of the Clinic through a network of tunnels
The QQ lot will be demoed and retained as a green space but may have a possible building on the southern portion adjacent to the P Building (formerly the Clinic Inn) and the PP Garage. Additionally, there will be a 12,000 sq ft structure attached to the Carnegie side of the building which will house the IT Department.

2. DRC 06-081: 4315 West 140th Street, Artemus Ward K-8 School, New Construction, Final Review
The new building size is 64,298 sq ft. It will house 450 students and 41 staff, and will have 51 parking spaces. It is replacing a school built in 1949.
The concerns addressed by the Commission previously (the angled portion of the building, parking access, location of service dock, cut-through/service entrance, central portion of the east elevation and its lack of animation) have all been addressed and resolved.
The angled portion has been straightened out. The curb cut to West 140th Street to the Kindergarten drop-off and parking has been eliminated.
Approved with the condition that no chain link fence be installed around the perimeter.

3. DRC 06-082: 4550 West 150th Street, R.G. Jones K-8 School, New Construction, Final Review
This new 64,298 sq ft building will house 450 students, 41 staff members and have 51 parking spaces. The school will continue to have the 1.65 acre community garden. It is replacing a school built in 1951.
The concern addressed previously (pedestrian pathways from the neighborhood to the school) were addressed. Other revisions include the reconfiguration of the parking lot and relocation of the kindergarten drop off, and the relocation of the flag pole along the walkway from the parent drop-off to the main entry. The building was shifted to the north. There is now a sidewalk to the playground and a security vehicle access drive through the center of the site
Kuri: Noted that she is uncomfortable with the similarity of R.G. Jones and Artemus Ward, both done by the same architectural firm.

4. DRC 06-062: 3800 West 140 th Street, Garfield K-8, New Construction, Final Review
This is a new building designed by Bowen and Associates. It is replacing one built in 1924. It is 61,770 sq ft in size and will house 426 students, 38 staff members and will have 57 parking spaces. The existing community garden will be retained.
Previously the Commission asked that the south portion of the entry drive be moved to provide a buffer and easier pedestrian access to the entry and the community garden. This was done. Other revisions include the the addition of a walkway along the north property line and to the south of the school connecting the play area to West 140th Street, a community artwork wall tile area to the stone feature wall on the east elevation, and a canopy has been added over the entry doors to the individual kindergarten classrooms.

5. DRC 06-090: 1600 Buhrer Avenue, Buhrer School K-8, New Construction, Final Review
This is a new building of 53,747 sq ft. It will house 350 students. 33 staff and have 47 parking spaces. It is replacing a school built in 1969.
When this (and the previously mentioned schools) were conceptually approved in the June 20, 2006 meeting, the Commission asked that the architects reconsider the need for three separate parking lots to provide more green space and to study the use of the pedestrian bridge over I-71 as part of the entry area for the school. Revisions include the addition of a clearly defined walkway from the pedestrian bridge to the playground with lights that will illuminate it at night.
Issues regarding the safety of the pedestrian bridge were referred to ODOT, which were present because of the next presentation.

6. DRC 05-131: Inner Belt Bridge (Central Viaduct) Design Concept Options (no action required)
The same presentation that was given to the public was presented here.
Toward the end of the presentation, Marty Cader was given time to speak about the apparent lack of pedestrian or bike access that is to be included in the new bridge. His presentation can be read here. (10 mb)
Finally, Ed Hauser was given some time to speak. He provided two documents which can be view here (3 mb)and here (13 mb). [The second item is related to Wendy Park]

***UPDATE***
The links should be working now. I am sorry for the trouble. If somebody has an alternative for hosting files that is free, please let me know.