The Hudson, Ohio Planning Commission held its regular meeting on Monday, September 13, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall, 27 East Main Street. Chair Ronald Stolle presided, with Vice Chair David Lehman and members Gregory Anglewicz, Michael Chuparkoff, Melissa Jones, David Nystrom, and Erik Vaughan in attendance. The Industrial Design Subcommittee met at 6:45 p.m. under Vice Chair Lehman. The Commission addressed two Land Development Code (LDC) text amendments (PC 2021-689 and PC 2021-827) and one final subdivision request (PC 2021-688). All persons giving testimony were placed under oath.
The Subcommittee reviewed case 21-919, focusing on the building massing and access around the building. Its recommendation was later accepted by the full Commission as part of the action on the related item.
This item, continued from the July 26, 2021 meeting, proposed text amendments to the fireworks provisions of the Land Development Code. City Planner Nicholas Sugar reviewed the five topics on which the Commission had requested additional information and referenced the revised text. A commenter noted the proposed text removes limiting provisions from previous decisions.
The attorney for neighbors of American Fireworks argued the facility is a pre-existing, grandfathered non-conforming use under the township/city codes; that the proposal would grant a special privilege to a single property; and that the Commission had not been presented with the applicable legal standards. The attorney further argued the City should rely on ATF and State Fire Marshal regulations rather than creating its own standards, and that the comprehensive plan should guide future land use over the next 10–20 years.
Applicant representatives (American Fireworks, including counsel and Carmen Russo of Realm Collaborative) supported the amendment, noting the business has operated for 119 years and supplied references to 5–7 other fireworks facilities in Ohio. The applicant acknowledged that State Fire Marshal Sean Casson has the right to all facility information at any time and expressed willingness to adjust language from “residential parcel line” to “residential use” and to consider a setback greater than the proposed 200 feet. The applicant observed that homes in the area were built with knowledge of the neighboring facility and that the facility has ample acreage, while disputing staff’s characterization of a storage increase of 100,000 pounds over 30 years.
In discussion, the City acknowledged it lacks the ATF’s tracking mechanism for fireworks storage. City Solicitor Matthew Vazzana addressed the relationship between ATF guidelines and the LDC when they conflict. One commissioner questioned why the City would replace existing state and federal regulatory frameworks with its own regulations when the operator is in compliance.
Action: Continued to the October 13, 2021 Planning Commission meeting. Revisions due by September 27, 2021. A recommendation due to City Council by October 20, 2021.
This item was continued from the August 9, 2021 meeting. Mr. Sugar highlighted proposed changes to the LDC made since the previous meeting. The Commission opened the public hearing and heard public comment. The Commission found the proposed text amendment to be in accordance with the City’s comprehensive plan and applicable criteria and voted to recommend approval to City Council with conditions.
The Commission reviewed the updated final subdivision plans. A prior decision required revising Lot 1 to provide increased separation between the pond and the home; staff noted the updated plans had not yet addressed this condition. The Commission discussed a small sliver of public open space with no direct access, noting that a proposed 12-foot easement would connect two open space areas and make them functional for maintenance. Conditions of approval included addressing engineering comments in the September 2, 2021 letter prior to the preconstruction meeting, acceptance of the Industrial Design Subcommittee recommendation, and approval of the declaration of covenants by the City Solicitor.
Action: The final subdivision was approved by roll call vote, subject to the stated conditions.
I'm calling to order the industrial design subcommittee. Uh this is uh stated meeting for uh on uh September thirteenth, and we're reviewing twenty-one dash nine one nine. Um Mr. Sugar, would you do we need a do one in attendance first? What's that? Should we take an attendance first? Um I don't think that's necessary. All right, well then go in with it. We've got a further night, so go in with the uh we have one item uh to review this evening, a sixty thousand square foot uh medical clinic for Western Reserve Hospital. Um look the applicant give a little back give more background, but uh um just an overview materials are brick brick veneer for the majority of the building. Um there's some samples uh within that report. Uh glazed metal panels uh where you see a lot of glass. Um and corrugated metal wall panels where you see the darker, darker shades here. Um we had a few staff comments um that were given to the committee as well as the applicant. Uh but uh just with that we can we can turn it over to the applicants if you'd like to give us an overview. Or any additional information. You can step up to the microphone here. How's it going? You guys hear me with so for the record, give us your you know, name and yeah, name is Jeffrey Torres, and I'm with Design Group. Um, the architect uh in charge of uh this project. Um so this is just a little bit of background medical office building, like Nick said. Um approximately about sixty thousand square feet. Uh and the materials themselves just uh as he was given an overview as Burke Veneer. Um storefronts, glazed in metal panel. Um, and there's some good samples right there that you can look on screen. Uh we look we're still in the uh process of looking at uh multiple mixes of colors, bricks, and textures um for the for the facility as well as the color of the uh corrugated metal panel and the glazed in metal panels. Um you guys have any other questions about the appearance or um I I noticed that you guys have a couple staff comments on here, so I can kind of run by a couple of these. Um so let's touch on massing and proportions. Uh the massing and proportions of the building. We looked at several different iterations for the project. Uh one comment that we kept on getting back from the owner is that um this is a new opportunity for them to brand themselves. Um, and what they want is a nice, clean, simple, sophisticated facade. Um, and that was really our intention and looking at all sides of this building. Um the back side of this is really the uh the comment here about the west elevation, um, which is considered more of the back side of this building, uh, which is uh won't be in view of the public as much, uh, but there's a lot of opportunity here to take advantage of the wetland sites. Um that was a huge inspiration when it came to designing this building. Um there's a couple um there's a cantilevered section that comes out of the building that's going to be uh directly for the staff of this building so they can really take a break and view the natural landscape of this site. Um so uh that was the uh for the for the west elevation. Do you guys have any other additional comments or questions on any uh uh other sort of the massing of this building? Um would to my colleagues would you like to ask on each individual item or wait till they're all done and then ask in mass? Maybe on each okay. Anything on um massing? Okay, continue. We'll do each one. Yeah, let's go down to the uh the uh comment on the the lack of fenestration on the south elevation directly relating to that uh corrugated metal panel on the south side. Um there is uh as you commented, suggests additional signage. There's opportunity there uh for signage that we're looking at, and like I said before, this is a brand new opportunity for the client to rebrand itself. Um, and this portion of the building was we really we called it the anchor, um, which is what they were uh they're really interested in anchoring this building onto the site, and this is where the uh the the entrance is kind of angled towards. Um, so there's a lot of opportunity for branding on that corner. Would the um you know I understand there's a relationship with Western Reserve and University Hospitals now, so we see some co-branding? There's possibility of co-branding.