Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog

The NOACA Governing Board approved the addition of 15 projects to its long-range transportation plan. Eight of the projects are in Cuyahoga County, including the planned redecking of the I-480 bridge in Valley View and Independence.

Several local residential projects are under construction or being planned.

• Chagrin Falls residents are closely watching the development of the River Walk townhouses on West Orange Street.
• The Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization is renovating the 22-unit Sylvia Apartments on Franklin Boulevard.
• Ohio City's landmark Franklin Castle was sold last month to a European artist. Plans call for renovating it as three residential units.
• A developer wants to fill 1.2 acres of wetlands and streams in Independence for a residential development.
• Lakewood City Council approved a community reinvestment area for the planned Metro Townhomes on Sloane Avenue.
• In Strongsville, work is underway at the Westwood Farms subdivision and at the Cedar Creek subdivision.

The West Creek Preservation Committee is interested in building a multipurpose trail in Seven Hills and Independence.

Construction of the Cleveland Clinic's $15 million Independence Technology Center expansion could begin as early as next month.

Through the West Creek Confluence Project, the West Creek Preservation Committee is reclaiming eight acres of urban wetlands where West Creek meets the Cuyahoga River in Independence (PDF).

The Independence Planning Commission approved plans for a 138,000-square-foot expansion of the Cleveland Clinic's Independence Technology Center.

Independence officials say that the proposed Hemlock Trail could be completed in the next few years. Federal and state funding will cover most of the costs, with the City paying for ecological and environmental studies.

Independence voters yesterday rejected Issue 5, the proposed zoning overlay for downtown Independence. In Twinsburg, all seven zoning issues passed citywide, but it is too early to tell if they also were approved at the ward level. Cleveland.com has a complete list of the Cuyahoga County election results.

The Sun Courier has additional information about Issue 5, the proposed zoning overlay for 151 acres in downtown Independence. It will appear on the May 5 ballot.

The proposed zoning overlay for downtown Independence will appear on the May ballot as Issue 5. Mayor Kurtz recently spoke about the plans at a meeting of the Independence Homeowners Association.

The Sun Courier has more details about the proposed downtown zoning overlay district that will appear on the May ballot in Independence.

Independence City Council is considering legislation to put a downtown zoning overlay district on the May ballot. The overlay would permit retail and multi-family development, including senior housing. Multi-family housing is not currently allowed in the City. Last year, the City surveyed Independence seniors about their preferences.

Update: the overlay district will appear on the May ballot.

The lack of oversight at the closed 40-acre Schaaf Road Landfill in Brooklyn Heights and Independence continues to trouble local officials.

Some Independence councilmembers want to revise portions of the City's zoning code.

Engineering and environmental studies are being prepared for the proposed Hemlock Trail through Independence. In Parma Heights, construction of a walking trail behind Cassidy Theatre is nearly complete.

The developers of the rejected Oak Knoll subdivision are suing the City of Independence. A judge dismissed two of the developers' claims, but a third suit is still pending.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting $100,000 Flood Risk Management Studies for the Cuyahoga River valley communities of Brooklyn Heights, Independence, Valley View, and Walton Hills. Congressman Kucinich said that the studies will create a better understanding of the causes of flooding and approaches to flood risk mitigation.

Independence leaders are surveying seniors to learn about their housing needs in order to develop a plan for senior housing in the downtown district.

Plans for the redevelopment of downtown Independence may have a senior housing component. City leaders intend to develop a master plan for the area, and may ask voters to approve the senior housing next year.

The National Park Service published an environmental assessment for the rehabilitation or replacement of the Fitzwater Truss Bridge and the Waste Weir Bridge over the Cuyahoga River and the Ohio & Erie Canal in Independence. The report's preferred alternative calls for replacing both bridges on a new alignment that would create a four-way intersection at Canal Road. Public comments on the document will be accepted through August 28.

Update: the Sun Courier has more details.

Close to 200 people attended the concrete-breaking ceremony for the West Creek Confluence Project on Friday. The restoration of the ten acre site in Independence will be completed in three to five years.

The Gund Foundation announced its latest round of grants, which include $50,000 to the West Creek Preservation Committee for the West Creek Confluence Project.

A concrete-breaking celebration (PDF) for the West Creek Confluence Project will be held on July 11 in Independence.

Update: the Plain Dealer supplies more information.

Work on the West Creek Confluence Project in Independence is scheduled to begin this summer, and the restoration of the site should be completed by 2010. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is also involved in several related projects in Parma and Brooklyn Heights.

A senior housing issue will not appear on the March ballot in Independence. Although the City had planned on the March vote, Mayor-elect Kurtz said that the City was not yet ready to go to voters.

Work will begin next summer in restoring a 10 acre site at the confluence of West Creek and the Cuyahoga River in Independence. The City of Independence and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park are also planning Hemlock Trail, a 1.5 to 1.7 mile long multi-purpose trail through Independence and Valley View that would connect the Towpath Trail to Brecksville Road.

The Cleveland Cavaliers unveiled the Cleveland Clinic Courts, their new practice facility in Independence.

A U.S. District Court judge stayed the lawsuit by St. Maron's Church against the City of Independence until December 12. City officials have until then to decide if they will authorize the construction of a new church at the Marycrest site on Brookside Road. If the City refuses, then the case will proceed in December.

Independence officials are continuing to develop a downtown master plan for the City.

St. Maron's Church is suing the City of Independence, charging that municipality's planning and zoning code discriminates against it. City officials have not granted permission for a new church at the Marycrest site on Brookside Road.

In multipurpose trail news:

• Cleveland Councilman Brian Cummins says the construction of the Treadway Greenway Connector trail could be completed as soon as the end of fall.
• At a meeting last week, consultants presented plans for a trail through the West Creek Greenway that would link Brooklyn Heights, Independence, Parma and Seven Hills with the West Creek Reservation and the Towpath Trail. A pair of public meetings will be held early next month.
• In Shaker Heights, City Council is scheduled to vote on the planned Shaker Boulevard median trail on Monday.

The Independence Planning Commission is continuing its attempts to reconcile the differences between the two plans for a senior housing district. While senior housing has been a controversial issue in Independence, it has been readily accepted in other Cuyahoga County suburbs.

Independence officials are working to resolve the differences between two competing plans for a senior housing development. The Independence Planning Commission hopes to reach a compromise by December so that the issue can appear on the March ballot.

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District committed $3 million for the construction of the planned Watershed Stewardship Center at the Cleveland Metroparks West Creek Reservation in Parma. Meanwhile, the City of Independence purchased the former Seaman's Furniture Warehouse at the confluence of West Creek and the Cuyahoga River. The structures on the 10 acre property will be demolished and the site will be used for parkland, open space, riparian restoration, and flood control.

Independence City Council is considering taking the Marycrest site on Brookside Road by eminent domain to prevent St. Maron's Church from moving to the property. The Planning Commission tabled the Church's request for a permit to build, and the Church's attorney says they will sue the City if it isn't granted.

Construction of the new Cleveland Cavaliers practice facility in Independence is on schedule, and a grand opening is slated for the first week in August.

The Independence Planning Commission recommended authorizing the creation of a senior housing district behind Concordia Lutheran Church, if the proposal is approved by voters. The land is currently owned by the church, and the proposal also requires the approval of church members.

St. Maron's Catholic Church's proposed move from downtown Cleveland to Independence is opposed by neighbors of the Independence site. St. Maron's wants to build a church, a youth activity center, and a social center at the 22 acre former Marycrest site on Brookside Road. Residents are concerned about possible flooding and traffic congestion.

The Independence Homeowners Association, formed last year, continues to meet and advocate for quality of life issues. Their next meeting will be on September 26.

The Senior Coalition in Independence supports the proposed senior single-unit housing overlay ordinance that is under consideration by City Council. The Independence Planning Commission is scheduled to discuss the proposal on June 5.

Some Independence residents are unhappy about the recently-introduced senior housing legislation, because it would bypass the requirement for voter approval by not including provisions for multi-family housing.

Leaders in Independence introduced legislation that would designate the area behind Concordia Lutheran Church and the Independence Technology Center as a senior housing district. It will go before the Planning Commission on Tuesday.

Indexco Properties will seek approval from the Independence Planning Commission to build a 12 house subdivision off of East Ash Road. The homes would be built (PDF) on lots ranging from 0.6 acres to 1.6 acres.

Senior housing advocates in Independence want another senior housing issue to appear on the ballot in November, and are preparing to begin campaigning.

In Independence, the Downtown Master Plan Task Force (PDF) submitted a draft plan to municipal leaders for review. City Council and the Planning Commission will hold a joint work session to discuss the plan's recommendations.