Toledo Zoning & Planning Committee Meeting – February 18, 2026
Toledo Zoning & Planning Committee Meeting – February 18, 2026
The Zoning & Planning Committee met on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 4:00 PM in City Council Chambers to discuss seven agenda items, including zone changes, special use permits, text amendments, and a neighborhood study. The meeting began without a quorum (5 present out of 9 members), but a quorum was later established, allowing formal recommendations. Chairperson Vanice Williams presided.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Deborah Sue Pearson (investor and nonprofit executive in the Vistula area) spoke in support of the Vistula zoning study and map amendment, stating it encourages investment and has been awaited for years.
- Valerie Garforth (investor and former board president of Beach House) also supported the Vistula rezoning, citing her family’s renovation of two historic properties in the neighborhood and the goal of attracting residents and taxpayers.
- Travis Truesdale (local business owner) addressed the storage unit text amendment, asking how he can proceed with a self-storage and contractor suite project at 3823 Sylvania Avenue given the pending moratorium. Director Lisa Cottrell responded that after the moratorium ends, a special use permit would be required, but noted the site is surrounded by industrial zoning and might be favorable.
- Mr. Arnold (no organization stated) requested that the “Community Recreation Active” zoning category be studied with input from human services agencies and the public, as he believes it is used for a wide range of facilities and is misleading.
Discussion Items
- #1 – 3360 Monroe vacation (V-435-25): Request to vacate a 15-foot alley. The applicant was not present. Planning Commission recommended disapproval because vacating would leave a stub alley without a turnaround. Director Cottrell noted the applicant is aware and is working on a zone change instead. The committee could not make a formal recommendation until a quorum was present; later Chairperson Williams recommended sending to the Board of Revisions as disapproved.
- #2 – 1839 Tremainsville zone change (Z25-0037): Request to downzone from CO (office commercial) to RD6 (duplex residential). The applicant was ill and not present. The downzoning was described as non-controversial and needed for refinancing the existing single-family home. Committee members supported it, and Chairperson Williams recommended sending to City Council as approved.
- #3 – 4757 Monroe SUP amendment (SCP-25-0042): Amendment to a special use permit for Christ the King Church and school expansion. Attorney Jerry Parker and church representative Brian Smith presented. They accepted all 24 planning commission conditions except requested deferral on a sign waiver (the sign would remain blank until the city reviews the sign code). The committee agreed to defer the sign issue and recommend the rest to City Council as approved, with a condition that the sign remain blank for one year or until the special use permit is re-reviewed.
- #4 – Vistula Study & Map amendment (M-9-25): Comprehensive rezoning of the Vistula neighborhood to align with the Forward Toledo plan and Vistula Master Plan. Planner Alex presented the study, which replaces outdated industrial and auto-oriented commercial zoning with mixed-use and appropriate residential/commercial zones. Two neighborhood meetings were held; changes were made based on community input. Councilman Driscoll strongly supported the downzoning as a tool to combat land speculation, and Council President Williams emphasized the community-driven nature of the plan. Chairperson Williams recommended sending to City Council as approved.
- #5 – TA Storage Units (M-21-25): Text amendment to add a special use permit requirement for storage units in the zoning code. Director Cottrell explained this allows council to review the highest and best use of sites. Councilman Driscoll noted economic development data shows Toledo may be short on storage, increasing the need for careful placement. Chairperson Williams supported it, citing the risk of a storage unit on Summit Street in the Vistula area. Recommendation: to City Council as approved.
- #6 – TA Density Bonuses requirements (M-22-25): Text amendment to remove the major site plan requirement and replace with administrative review for density bonuses in CM and CD districts. Director Cottrell stated this reduces a regulatory barrier for housing (e.g., Hill Crest Hotel, Four Corners). No public comment. Recommendation: to City Council as approved.
- #7 – TA Legacy Zone Changes (M-13-25): Text amendment to remove outdated zone changes tied to plats from before 2004, since modern site plan review tools exist. Director Cottrell noted these legacy changes can cloud titles and surprise neighbors. Recommendation: to City Council as approved.
- #8 – Review of Outstanding Studies: Director Cottrell listed upcoming studies: healthy food overlay, certificate of appropriateness revocation, zoning code rewrite (bids being scored), native plant study, heritage tree/tree preservation study, and demolition by neglect text amendment (in committee).
- #9 – Review of Expiring Moratoriums: Storage units and historic demolition moratoria are nearing expiration; a second historic study for public buildings is nearly complete.
Key Outcomes
- #1 – 3360 Monroe vacation: Committee directed staff to send a recommendation of disapproval to the Board of Revisions (informal, as proper recommendation required full council action).
- #2 – 1839 Tremainsville zone change: Recommended to City Council as approved. Will be read on March 3, 2026.
- #3 – 4757 Monroe SUP amendment: Recommended to City Council as approved, with the sign condition: sign shall remain blank until one-year re-review or sign code amendment. Will be read on March 3, 2026.
- #4 – Vistula Study & Map amendment: Recommended to City Council as approved. Will be read on March 3, 2026.
- #5 – TA Storage Units: Recommended to City Council as approved. Will be read on March 3, 2026.
- #6 – TA Density Bonuses: Recommended to City Council as approved. Will be read on March 3, 2026.
- #7 – TA Legacy Zone Changes: Recommended to City Council as approved. Will be read on March 3, 2026.
- General: The committee acknowledged Mr. Arnold’s request and staff indicated the “Community Recreation Active” category will be studied as part of the zoning code rewrite, with possible interim amendments and public input.
Meeting Transcript
So the way I run our meetings is uh we'll come up. Um you'll present your case, get sworn in if necessary, present your case. We'll have uh commentary from the Diaz here, and then anyone that has uh the speak for or against will have the opportunity, you'll have three minutes to discuss the project at hand, and it has to be focused to discuss specifically the project at hand and zoning issues, nothing outside of that, otherwise uh we can have a conversation outside of the um the time to discuss anything uh ancillary to the zoning request. So that being said, Clerk, please call the rule. Morris Martinez present Driscoll Gaddis Hobbes Colomives here, Meldon here, Sarantu Williams here for present. Okay, so we do not have a quorum. We need a quorum uh for five, and as soon as we have that, we'll be able to take an official vote, but that does not mean we're not going to go through with the presentations. Clerk, please call the first uh case. Case number one is a request for vacation of the 15 foot alley running east and west adjacent to lot 17 and 18 in the southern 55 feet of lot 17 in Clifton Park Platte. Case number V 435-25. The plan commission recommends disapproval. Thank you. Is the applicant here? I'm guessing no, but I'll ask again. Is the applicant here? No. Okay. Um director. So the request here was to vacate this portion of the alley to facilitate the development of a parking lot for this gentleman. Um we don't have parking minimums anymore, so that concern kind of went away. Um but this this area of right-away was a result of an earlier vacation, and it was the turnaround added from that vacation. So vacating this leaves us with a stub alley with no way for people to turn around driving down that alley. So we recommended disapproval as did transportation. We've been working pretty closely with this applicant um to facilitate a zone change and getting his building plans through for a mixed use development there along the front, and he's aware of the reasons for the disapproval of the vacation. That's why he's not here. Okay. Any questions from the Diaz? President Williams. I'll recommend it to go to the Board of Revisions as uh disapproved. I guess we technically we can't make a recommendation since we don't have a quorum. Oh, okay. So we can come back to it. Yep. All right, thank you. Clerk, next, please. Case number two is a request for a zone change from CO office commercial to RD6 duplex residential for the property located at 1839 Tremainesville Road, case number Z25-0037. The plan commission recommends approval. Is the uh applicant here? Oh uh this person did call in letting us know that she will be she's ill and not able to make it. Um in the past, we have two options. Uh we can hold this until the next zoning uh meeting, but uh councilman Hobbes is not here to make that recommendation. This is a simple um down zoning. Downzoning. Um it's up to the body in which they would like to proceed. Um Madam Director, anyway. So the applicant is requesting the down zoning to refinance the property. Uh the CO office commercial district is not permit the single the existing single family home. Um President Williams? Uh just a question. Is it actually um so it's actually just the regular duplex and it's just one of them situations that we had?
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