Toledo Zoning and Planning Committee Meeting - April 15, 2026
Toledo Zoning and Planning Committee Meeting - April 15, 2026
On April 15, 2026, the Toledo Zoning and Planning Committee met with seven members present (Morris, Martinez, Driscoll, Gaddis, Haves, Meldon, Sarantu, Williams) to consider five zoning cases and a planning update. The meeting included a deferred case, multiple approvals, and a referral back to the Plan Commission. A tornado warning for Wood County was noted at the meeting's end.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made on any agenda items. Only applicants and city staff testified.
Discussion Items
- Case 5 (SUP25-0048) – Gas Station Expansion at 4486 Monroe Street: The applicant was absent and requested a deferral to May 20, 2026. The committee granted the deferral without public comment.
- Case 1 (Z26-0002) – Zone Change at 2500 Collingwood Boulevard: Tom Antonini, General Counsel for the Diocese of Toledo, requested a change from CN (commercial neighborhood) and RS6 (single-dwelling residential) to CO (office commercial) to match sign regulations across from the cathedral. The Plan Commission recommended approval. The committee voted to send to full council as approved. Councilman Sarantu thanked the Diocese for selling their former building to the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department.
- Case 2 (Z26-0003) – Zone Change at 419 Roanoke Road: Applicant Chloe Nucius requested a change from CO (office commercial) to RD6 (duplex residential) to align with surrounding properties. The Plan Commission recommended approval. The committee approved and sent to full council.
- Case 3 (Z26-0004) – Zone Change at 2855-2857 LeGrange Street: Owner Martin Leger requested a change from CS (storefront commercial) to CM (mixed commercial residential) to convert the building to residential use. The Plan Commission recommended approval. The committee approved, with Councilwoman Morris noting the area's issues and supporting beautification.
- Case 4 (SUP26-0001) – Special Use Permit for Schneider Park Water Tower: Andy McClure presented for the city's water tower project, part of a distribution system improvement. The project budget was reduced from $100 million to $80 million. The Plan Commission recommended approval with 21 conditions. The committee approved, with Councilman Meldon noting a community meeting held last year.
- Case 6 (SUP25-0036) – Gas Station Special Use Permit at 5305-5321 Monroe Street and 4700 Nantucket Drive: The Plan Commission voted 2-2 (with one recusal) and initially sent it as disapproved. However, city attorney Sarah Stevens clarified that a tie vote cannot move forward without a majority vote per TMC 14501. The committee voted to send the case back to the Plan Commission for a proper vote. Discussion ensued about recusals (20-30% of cases) and potential TMC amendments. Councilman Williams expressed strong support for a Sheetz in District 4, citing traffic counts and acreage.
- Director's Report on Zoning Code Update: The director reported that the zoning code rewrite is underway, with four consultant candidates to be interviewed on April 30 and May 1. Timeline is approximately 18 months. Other studies include food overlay, group living, retroactive certificates of appropriateness, data centers, community recreation, daycare, major urban agriculture, light industrial zoning, rounds corner, and a tax amendment for signage. The director also mentioned work on adult business code, with licensing reducing adult businesses to zero in Cincinnati.
Key Outcomes
- Case 5: Deferred to May 20, 2026, per applicant request.
- Cases 1, 2, 3, 4: Approved and will be read at the full City Council meeting on April 28, 2026.
- Case 6: Sent back to the Plan Commission for a majority vote. The law department is working on amending the TMC to address tie vote procedures.
- Zoning Code Update: Consultant interviews scheduled; regular updates to council planned.
- Gas Station Licensing: Councilman Gaddis suggested raising the square footage threshold for licensing to include larger gas stations (e.g., 8,000 sq ft). Councilman Sarantu proposed a moratorium, noting approximately 350 gas stations in Toledo. The director will provide information on other cities' approaches.
- Adult Business Code: A planner is studying licensing as a control method.
- Historic Building Moratorium: Expiring at end of April; RFP for local landmark designation consultants is being issued.
Meeting Transcript
I called the order of the zoning and planning committee on April 15th, 2026. Morris. Martinez. Driscoll. Here. Gaddis. Here. Haves. Com Ives. Here. Meldon. Here. Sarantu. Here. Williams. Here. Seven present. Okay. So we're gonna go ahead and get started here. I'm actually going to advance number five. Um Clerk, can you please uh read that? Case number five is a request for an amendment to a special use permit for a gas station expansion for the property located at 4486 Monroe Street. Case number SUP25-0048. The plan commission recommends approval subject to 19 conditions and two waivers. Okay, so the applicant is unable to be here. Um but I did want to give the community an opportunity to speak. This is gonna actually get deferred to May 20th uh per the applicant's request. Is there anyone to speak for or against this permit? See none going once, going twice. All right, we'll move on. And Clerk, if you can please start at please. Case number one is a request for a zone change from CN commercial neighborhood commercial and RS6 single dwelling residential to CO office commercial for the property located at 2500 Collingwood Boulevard, case number Z two six zero zero zero two. The plan commission recommends approval. Is the applicant here? Yes. Okay, if you could please uh uh get sworn in, please. Yes, good evening. My name is Tom Antonini, I'm General Counsel for the Diocese of Toledo. Um and just briefly, um this has been a kind of a long-term vision of ours to move our uh main headquarters of Pastoral Center from our former location on Spielbush to the Collingwood Boulevard site across the street from the cathedral, and we're really trying to um working with the old West End Historic District Commission, kind of follow their rules and guidelines and have a complimentary campus type feel. When we were back in front of that group three or four years ago, they approved the monumental sign on the new site, and then and then the project then got delayed, and in the meantime the the rules changed and no longer permit that height uh of a sign, um, and that would match the existing sign that's on the Rosary Cathedral School campus. Um so Plan Commission, and really at the urging of the old West End Historic District Commission, urging us to find a way to get those to match the plan commission suggests that we go this route for a zone change. Um so that's what we're asking the uh this council to to grant uh in accordance with the plan commission recommendation. Kevin Young from Munger Mugger Architects is here to answer any questions you might have as far as the specifications and those sorts of things, but unless there's any questions for me, I'll I'll stand down. Madam Directors So again, as the applicant said they had approval for the sign that they wanted, and then the site plan expired. By the time they got the site plan back to being approved, the sign code had changed. We are supportive of the sign because it does match across the street, and the old West Unistoric District is supportive of it. Okay. Uh is there anyone to speak for or against this uh request? Sorry, this is a little loud. Anyone to speak for or against this request?
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