10/02/2007 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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.+~,. PLANNING AND DESIGN COM)MIISSION EXCERPT OF MEETING M~iUTES OF JCTLY 11, 20(17 ~r~l~r Stear~ts Color P,~ ; ,#~l Redevelopment plan and design strategy for the Crocker Stearns corridor. Ms. Wenger reviewed that the 2005 Master Plan recommended creating an action plan for the Crocker Stearns corridor to address. the changes re~iltng from the roadway project. Several meetings were held with the Urban Design Center and the community to determine the best strategy. She reviewed the various public meetings. The corridor was broken into three areas including Stearns Road from I-480 to Lorain Road, the Lorain-Steams intersection, and the sound walls north of Lorain Road. Once ~ Commission and City Council adopt the plan the implementation will begin. She introduced Terry Schwarz who reviewed the reconvnendations. Ms. Schwarz said that the plan is the outcome from various steering committee and public meetings. The land use along Stearns Road will likely change and the City wants to avoid a piecemeal rezoning approach. (1ne goal of the study is to recommend future zoning classifications for the area. Once the gan is adopted the city will work towards an overall land use strategy for developing the area. The types of zoning which were looked at south of Lorain were higher density housing, commercial uses, hotel, office and green space to enhatuce the residential environment. The Stearns and I-480 interchange appeared to be the best area for commercial devetopmeiit, not general retail, but office or hotel uses which would accommodate heavy traffic ac~l the quickest access to the highway. At the intersection of Steams and Lorain the focus was traffic volume and community orientated retail to enhance the existing shopping center at the southeast ode of the Lorain. The southwest comer ofthe intersection could also accommodate a small amount of community retail. As a new gateway irno North Olmsted the Lorain Stearns intersection should have some retail to serve the residents in the neighborhood and act as an enticement to those traveling the corridor to tum onto Lorain irno North Olmsted instead of traveling elsewhere. The two uses along the north side of the intersection are both fixed with Rite Aid and the funeral home, although there is an opportunity to eiiha~rice both sites with landscaping and A section between the interchange plan and corner development could be a housing development to accomm~te those residerns wishing to stay within the corridor and provide new housing developments which could be developed over time and set back from the roadway, incorporating areas of greenspace along the corridor and limiting the number of curb cuts atoiig the street. The plan shows possibilities for senior housing, multi family housing, condominiums, townhouses and cluster style housing to demonstrate the variety of housing which could be .developed in the area. The sound wall was looked at for ways to soften the impact and it was found that the walls would best be buffered by plants evergreens or vines. The tree lawn along the sound wall would also include street trees to absorb sounds as well. Mr. Lasko clarified that what was being presented was not a specific development proposal nor was there a developer waiting to break ground. The plan being presented is a co~ept which the city is looking at in a manner to ensure that there is a goal when addressing the area in the future. It is the Planning & Design Commission's charge to look forward for the best possible solutions for the city's future developmern.