4/5/2016 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 04-05-2016 questioned the proposal. Councilman Barker suggested a different site would be more appropriate, even suggesting that the school district should have a "Plan B" for the project. Councilwoman Williamson discussed resident concerns and safety issues. Six residents, all from the area near the proposed project, voiced their concerns and worries about their lives and property values being affected. Councilman Schumann said he was proud of his neighbors as they and everyone present handled themselves with class. Everyone was given an opportunity to speak at the BZD meeting as public session during Council meetings occurs after committee reports are presented and voted upon. The committee voted 2-1 (Williamson dissenting) to not recommend the plan to Council. The committee voted 3-0 to not recommend the conditional use permit to Council. Councilman Schumann made a motion approve CMS 16-5267 Butternut Conversion Proposal located at 26669 Butternut Ridge Road. The motion was seconded by Councilman Barker. Roll Call: Schumann, no; Barker, no with comment. Where was Plan B? I have had two people who have seen your plans for the new project state that there is plenty of space in the rear of your land that could accommodate the buses. The buses have been on that property for at least 53 years that I know of. Was that even considered at all? The Historical District, the BZD Committee and Council voted down a housing project quite a few years ago. The reason? Disturbing the residents with more traffic and not fitting in with the historical aspect of the area. It was stated with this project that traffic would be about the same or less, but the buses and drivers weren't equated into the project when presented to the Planning & Design Commission as well as the true times the buses would be leaving and arriving for after school trips. Another issue that bothered me was the maximum load limit of 10,000 lbs. stated at the beginning of the street and your buses weigh 22,000 lbs. empty and up to approximately 40,000 lbs. when loaded. That's 37 buses times up to 4 trips a day and no one thought to take that into consideration. I think if I drove on Butternut Ridge Road every day, I would have given that some thought from a legal standpoint and also the fact that the buses truly can't help the condition of the road which the city— actually the residents—will have to pay to repair or rebuild. Roll Call continued: Kearney, yes; Brossard, yes; Limpert, yes with comment. Butternut Elementary has a special place in my heart as I grew up going to Butternut Elementary and even continued attending after my family moved out of the elementary area. I spent my mornings on the street corner of Fitch and Butternut as my mother was a crossing guard and I waited to go to school or return home so I am pretty familiar with the street during peak hours of traffic. Any time a city Council is evaluating proposals and solutions dealing with schools or other public entities, it creates complications and difficult processes where eminent domain comes in and complicates matters on what the city can approve as conditional use and what the city can approve as conditional use. While I see a number of negatives with this proposal, I have not identified or been presented with an option where the negatives far outweigh the proposal. From my due diligence, I do not believe litigation would be successful or productive to the residents or taxpayers of North Olmsted. From correspondence by the Superintendent, it is clear the direction the school district feels it will go next to best serve the interests of residents of North Olmsted as it relates to the school district if this was voted down, and I can understand that position whether I agree with it or not. As a member of the streets committee, I will actively and aggressively work with the residents of Butternut and the administration to alleviate traffic impacts on the city if this is 5