Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog

Cuyahoga County is again considering runway expansion plans for County Airport. Seven alternatives are being examined. The County Airport environmental assessment project will hold its first public open house on February 27.

Update: unlike earlier plans, the current proposal has generated little controversy.

Election recap

Tuesday's election included the following issues:

• Mayfield Village
  Issue 82 (commercial rezoning): passed
• Richmond Heights
  Issue 90 (participation in joint service districts): failed
• Solon
  Issue 95 (industrial rezoning): passed (reactions)
• South Euclid
  Issue 96 (retail rezoning): passed (more)

Visit the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections for complete results.

In Lorain County, voters rejected a quarter-percent sales tax increase. The county will institute cuts that include reducing its contribution to Lorain County Transit from $100,000 to $50,000. Avon voters approved a charter amendment that establishes a minimum lot size for residential areas.

The November 8 ballot includes several planning and zoning issues in Cuyahoga County communities.

• Issue 82 in Mayfield Village is a residential to commercial rezoning of two properties on Wilson Mills Road for a proposed expansion of Deacon's Chrysler Jeep.
• Issue 90 in Richmond Heights would allow municipal participation in joint service districts.
• Issue 95 in Solon is a residential to industrial rezoning for the planned Nestle research and development center.
• Issue 96 in South Euclid is a referendum on the residential to commercial rezoning for the Oakwood Commons development.

In Avon, voters will decide a charter amendment that would establish a minimum lot size.

Cuyahoga County Airport officials dropped their plans to extend a runway and reroute surrounding roads. The alternative recently approved by the Cuyahoga County Commissioners instead calls for modifications within the airport's existing footprint.

Update: the Plain Dealer has more information. The Sun Messenger also published details about the plans.

A group of Brooklyn Centre residents objects to the Ohio Department of Transportation's plans to install noise walls along I-71. They prefer plant-based noise barriers. Meanwhile, the Cuyahoga County Commissioners adopted a voluntary noise abatement procedure for Cuyahoga County Airport.

Cleveland and Cuyahoga County officials are willing to discuss a possible merger of Burke Lakefront Airport and Cuyahoga County Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration wants both airports to remain open. Meanwhile, County Airport staff is considering alternatives to the airport's master plan.

Update: Cuyahoga County Economic Development Director Paul Oyaski does not support closing Cuyahoga County Airport.

Cleveland Director of Port Control Ricky Smith proposed closing Cuyahoga County Airport and consolidating service at Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport. Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones said he'd consider the idea.

Willoughby Hills leaders urged the over 100 people who attended a public hearing to organize in opposition to the planned runway extension at Cuyahoga County Airport. A Euclid Sun Journal editorial also opposes the extension.

Willoughby Hills leaders are still opposed to the runway extension planned for Cuyahoga County Airport, and are examining their options.

Richmond Heights leaders remain dissatisfied with the planned runway extension at Cuyahoga County Airport, and City Council passed a resolution on Tuesday expressing its opposition.

The Cuyahoga County Commissioners will revisit the Cuyahoga County Airport master plan at their meeting on Thursday. The plan was tabled last April following opposition to runway extension plans from residents and politicians in Highland Heights, Richmond Heights, and Willoughby Hills.

Update: the Commissioners unanimously voted to submit the development plan to the FAA.

The Cuyahoga County Commissioners tabled a vote on plans to extend the runway at Cuyahoga County Airport. The majority of people who testified at yesterday's meeting were opposed to the extension.

The Cuyahoga County Commissioners are expected to vote on Cuyahoga County Airport runway extension plans at their meeting on Thursday morning. The cities of Highland Heights, Richmond Heights, and Willoughby Hills oppose the plan, but the Commissioners say they need to consider economic factors in addition to the opinions of the airport's neighbors.

Richmond Heights City Council voted to officially oppose the proposed runway extension at Cuyahoga County Airport.

Members of Richmond Heights City Council are trying to decide whether to support or oppose the planned Cuyahoga County Airport runway extension. Many residents are firmly opposed to the extension.

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved names for five tributaries of Euclid Creek yesterday: Claribel Creek, Redstone Run, Stevenson Brook, Verbsky Creek, and the East Branch of Euclid Creek.

Cuyahoga County Airport officials have been holding public meetings and making presentations (PDF) to city councils about the latest runway extension plan for the airport. Additional community meetings will be held over the next several months.

The Cuyahoga County Department of Development and its engineering consultant recommended an alternative for extending the runway at Cuyahoga County Airport. The alternative (PDF) calls for extending the runway at both ends and realigning Richmond and Bishop Roads. It does not require the acquisition of any residential properties. Willoughby Hills officials remain opposed to the extension.

Update: the Plain Dealer published more details and a diagram.

The City of Richmond Heights will purchase from Cuyahoga County 13 acres along the East Branch of Euclid Creek as part of the City's environmental protection strategy that also included the naming of tributaries of Euclid Creek.

Mayor Welo of South Euclid is optimistic about the future of the Hillcrest Heights Area Recreation Council, and hopes to obtain federal or state funding for the proposed regional recreation center.

The South Euclid-Lyndhurst Board of Education decided to not join the Hillcrest Heights Area Recreation Council "at this time", instead choosing to concentrate on passing an operating levy in March.

The City of Richmond Heights submitted names for five Euclid Creek tributaries to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. A decision is expected in several months.

Mayor Welo assured South Euclid residents that the Hillcrest Heights Area Recreation Council will not build a proposed recreation center if they are unable to align grant funding.

Mayor Welo of South Euclid offered to personally pay the startup fees for the South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District's entry into the Hillcrest Heights Area Recreation Council. This fall, the mayors of Richmond Heights, South Euclid, and University Heights will meet with Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones to discuss funding sources. They hope to build a new recreation center without the use of local tax dollars.

Financial concerns may prevent the South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District from joining the Hillcrest Heights Area Recreation Council. The Cities of Richmond Heights, South Euclid, and University Heights have agreed to establish the council of governments.

Builders hope to begin work this fall on Highland Ridge, a 302 home subdivision planned for 55 acres on Highland Road at Donna Drive in Richmond Heights. The development could take five years to build.

On June 25, South Euclid City Council is expected to vote on a proposal to create a council of governments with Richmond Heights, University Heights, and the South Euclid-Lyndhurst Board of Education to study the feasibility of a regional recreation center. University Heights passed similar legislation on June 4, while Lyndhurst leaders reiterated that they were not interested in participating.

The Plain Dealer reminds readers that Burke Lakefront Airport is built upon landfill and dredge material, and would require extensive remediation and stabilization in order to be redeveloped. Meanwhile, some suggest that instead of closing Burke, the Cuyahoga County Airport should be closed and its traffic shifted to Burke.

Alternative expansion plans for the expansion of Cuyahoga County Airport are under consideration after the Cuyahoga and Lake County Commissioners rejected the initial option of expanding into Willoughby Hills.

Willoughby Hills residents and politicians are opposed to an expansion of the Cuyahoga County Airport that may be proposed in the master plan currently being conducted. Willoughby Hills City Council recently hired attorney David Zoll to help fight any expansion.

(Update: The News-Herald provides additional details.)

Mayor Lorenz of Willoughby Hills announced that "all facts and figures point towards" expansion of the Cuyahoga County Airport runway in Willoughby Hills by 900 feet, but Cuyahoga County Department of Development Director Paul Oyaski said that "No decision has been made about runway expansion."