Hudson Planning Commission Meeting – June 11, 2019

The Hudson Planning Commission met on June 11, 2019, per the provided metadata (2019-06-11 11:15:00+00:00). The agenda, minutes, and transcript list the meeting as Monday, June 10, 2019, at 7:33 p.m. at Town Hall, 27 East Main Street, Hudson, Ohio. Chair Kagler presided, with Vice Chair Thomas Harvie and members Gregory Anglewicz, Michael Chuparkoff, David Lehman, Ron Stolle, and James Vitale present. Staff included Community Development Director Greg Hannan, City Planner Kris McMaster, and City Solicitor Matthew Vazzana. The sole public hearing concerned the preliminary subdivision plan for Kilbourne Place.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Thomas Good (6173 Wessington Drive) expressed concern that the new City Hall site is not in the center of town and is incompatible with the city's Comprehensive Plan. He argued that the purchase of the new City Hall would require Planning Commission review to ensure adherence to the Comprehensive Plan.
• Representative of the League of Women Voters Hudson stated that while the local League has not taken a position on Downtown Phase 2, it has an official position supporting the Hudson Comprehensive Plan. She urged Council to publish, include, and prioritize environmental criteria when requesting, assessing, and approving designs from developers, and to provide those criteria to the public. She expressed the position that incorporating environmental criteria into Phase 2 would make Hudson a local leader in sustainable development.
• Chair Kagler responded that Downtown Phase 2 is not before the Planning Commission at this time and that comments would be noted by staff for future discussions.

Discussion Items

Kilbourne Place Preliminary Subdivision Plan (PC 2019-364)

• Applicant: Robert Warner of Environmental Design Group (450 Grant Street, Akron, Ohio), on behalf of property owner B. Taussig, Trustee (P.O. Box 239, Hudson, Ohio), requested preliminary subdivision plan approval for Kilbourne Place, a three-lot single-family residential subdivision surrounding a cul-de-sac that will become the termination of Kilbourne Drive on parcel #3009982 (the transcript lists the parcel as 300982).
• Staff report: City Planner Kris McMaster reported that the proposal meets the purpose and intent of the land development code and the Comprehensive Plan. No open-space dedication is required for a subdivision of this size. The cul-de-sac would extend 102 feet from the existing end of Kilbourne Drive. Staff recommended conditions including a 20-foot-wide pedestrian access easement and landscaping (10 to 15 trees in the cul-de-sac and 5 trees for the proposed lots).
• Applicant's position: Warner stated the applicant objects to the recommended 20-foot pedestrian access easement, arguing that a public trail onto private property is unnecessary because the public would never have access to it. He proposed extending the sidewalk around the cul-de-sac instead.
• Commission discussion: Commissioner Vitale expressed concern about the land development code's interchangeable use of the term "stub street" for two different purposes, and said he would have expected a stub street extending toward the remainder of the property. He noted that the remaining parcel would not be landlocked, as it would have access to Streetsboro, but that a stub street would allow future connection. Another commissioner countered that the stub street primarily benefits the property owner and should not mandate development of the remaining 40 acres. Chair Kagler noted that no stub street is required because the development serves fewer than 12 residences, and that substantive design or layout issues cannot be deferred to final plat approval.

Key Outcomes

• Motion and vote: Commissioner Vitale moved to approve the preliminary subdivision plan for Case 2019-364 for Kilbourne Place according to the plans submitted May 13, 2019, subject to staff conditions two and three and the requirement to address items in the staff report. Vice Chair Harvie seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
• Minutes: The March 11, 2019 Planning Commission minutes were approved as amended to correct the spelling of names on pages two and three.
• No other business was transacted.