Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Wednesday, February 4th, 2026, planning commission meeting. I will have roll call. Mr. Delpes. Mr. Mahalsson here. Mr. Sarah here. Mr. Leage here. Mr. Reid here. Okay. So, the first uh item on the agenda is the minutes of January 7th, 2026. Do we have a mo motion to approve? I'll move to approve the minutes.

I'll second. Okay. Um all in favor. I I have to abstain. Was not here last week. Okay. So, let the record know. Yeah.

Okay. Next item on the uh agenda tonight is adjudication hearing. It's for application number CU S-26-2 which is located at 341 Weiss Avenue Northeast North Canton. It's a conditional use permit to allow a new field lighting system for the existing boys baseball stadium for North Canton. Do we have someone representing the school? Please state your name and address.

Todd Henny, 1227 Lynwood Avenue Southwest. Umvious be happy to answer any questions you have. Obviously, uh, four poles, two at 70 ft, four at 80 ft. The Musco company is, uh, probably the most respected light manufacturer, uh, for athletic fields, and it's the exact same installation that we've just had approved for the soccer lacrosse field renovations probably about three three years ago. U,, so we're excited about the potential for this project, uh, funded almost entirely, uh, by a private donor. So, 50 foot candles is the goal for the infield and 30 foot candles for the outfield. And obviously what they're able to do with modern day lighting and not uh you know overspray um is certainly different than it was a generation ago. So there's a total of six posts.

That's correct. Yeah. two for the infield in essence and four beyond the infield. So two beyond the outfield fence as you can see at the one's kind of cut off but kind of at that top right hand corner screen and then one deeper than third base. Yeah, where the cursor is there and uh one deeper than first base at the bottom of your screen. So, did they on the foot candles did they play it out further than what is showing? They're showing the outfield. You said around 30, 25. Yeah, 30 is the goal. There are some that go under 30 there. Yes.

Do they go beyond? Um, I guess my concern would be going toward the uh east

residence. Yeah. I don't think they've included that measurement, but it appears that they were hitting on the outfield 25 and 26 uh right where the parking lot is. That is correct. Yeah. and do we know how often these lights will be used? So yeah, in terms of um the realm of possibility, certainly spring with the high school baseball season starting around April 1

and running through mid to late May, uh keep in mind as you try to play baseball games at night in early April, you're almost asking for problems in terms of the weather conducive to to kids. Um May is certainly more of a sweet spot. Now, obviously, when you get into June and July, the in Ohio with the sun setting closer to 9:35, um I don't see any reason to start a summer ball baseball game after 8:00 p.m. Uh which puts a logical ending time at around the 1000 p.m. mark. Not that we're shooting for that. Um but with the sun going down truly at its peak, you know, in that 9:30 range, um I think those months of June, July are going to be very minimal. um for the neighborhood. August has since we put the turf in there, we've been aggressively marketing rentals. We've had little to no rentals in the month of August. It's just high school kids are done at that point in time. Not that they're all playing football because yeah, kids are specializing and things like that, but we've been unsuccessful renting it in the month of August for the most part. So, June and July, absolutely, but mother nature's taking care of a lot of that with the natural sunlight. So, April certainly, I think they will try to play games there with a with a night with a night start uh with a 700 p.m. start uh which is would be a standard high school baseball time, but again, early April is going to be tough. Mid to late April into the middle of May is going to be more the sweet spot for high school baseball. Uh as far as the fall goes, um we've occasionally looked at marketing for uh lacrosse tournaments, bringing in, you know, large bringing an outside vendor to do things like that. Um haven't grown to the depth where we would ever be putting them on late at night in the fall for lacrosse. Um certainly if we if we if we could we would start with the lacrosse field up on the hill and then obviously the varsity football field would be the

next best spot because there's no there's no real quality stands and when you play uh youth soccer and lacrosse uh crossways across the outfield,

but when you have high school baseball, there really isn't there's really not that many games during the week, is there? So, the Federal League will schedule intentionally all the league games on Tuesday, Wednesday, home and home. When varsity's home, JB's away, and then vice versa. Um, so they're playing like a 26 game schedule over eight weeks. Uh, so you're going to say they're certainly going to average three to three and a half games a week with Saturday obviously being a a sweet spot to play games and and and things like that. So yeah, you're going to see, you know, two to three varsity baseball games max a week at home.

Okay. Okay. Um, do we have anyone from the audience here that would like to speak? for it. I don't care. I get too many questions, so we don't have time. Well, we're here, so if you want to ask a question. Well, I guess my question is for the school. You're ready to state your name. Oh, John McConna. Uh, where do I live? 623 7th Street.

Thank you. The entrance to the high school corner there. Um, I'm a little confused on what you were talking about varsity baseball games. If you're putting up the lights, why can't they play at night instead of playing at 4 in the afternoon? Yeah. So, so 5:00 is the traditional start time. So, two things. One, um, that April 1st, April 15th, it it that wind gets pretty nippy at night. you're dealing with kids pitchers and their arms April 15th to May 20th the rest of the season I do anticipate the coach wanting to play at night.

Absolutely. Yeah. Now, if you're bringing in Worcester on a Thursday night, their coach may say, "Hey, we're playing at 5 or we're not coming because I'm not getting home at 10:30 at night on a school night." So, one of those situations. So, there there is a little bit of back and forth, but certainly is Perry gonna want to play at seven? Yeah. Yeah. Um Okay. Notice this past year all the uh other leagues, some of them were quite elderly, some were okay. The June July baseball stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Uh I I figured that putting lights in you would want more of that since they would be able to play at night, including August or September or October. So yeah, we can't get any rentals in August. Now, we're getting a little bit of action in September on Is there a reason in August because it's too hot? Well, the high school kids take a break. The ones that aren't playing a fall sport. Well, these aren't high school kids. These are adults. Yeah. The Roy Hob 60 plus and all that. Um there's a lot of competition for that. Maybe when we have fields, we'll be more enticing to them. Um yeah, meaning fields. Well,

well, in terms of they could go other places that have lights or maybe they're going another place that has a lower um rental charge. So, it could be a little bit. Is your rent too high? Well, we It's one of those sell one widget for a,000 bucks for a thousand for a dollar. You know what I mean? So, um sometimes you got to bring things down and bring people in. Yeah, I I agree with you. I do agree with you. Yeah. So, we're trying to find that sweet spot. Um, I I do agree with you. We do we do debate that quite a bit as well, too, because we don't want to tax enough. If you're having to

still debate it, it ought to be settled by now. So, that you can go out and advertise it. So, just on our June July, we were able to pull in $30,000. Reason I said I got a lot of questions. It must be for the school. School direct. I am right now. This is a place. Yeah, we're Yeah, I know. I know. But me and Scott, we'll help you. You guys have got a lot to do and you better be doing it. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Okay. Now, it's your turn. Any other comments from anyone? Comments from the uh planning commission? Is uh is Martin on the phone? Yes. Marty, can you hear me?

I can. Yep. Good evening. Okay. Good evening. Uh just a real quick question. Do the codified ordinances address the amount of light spill allowed onto adjacent property whether it's residential or commercial? It does. There's a limitation to 0.5 uh foot candle across the property line particularly where it's residential. Okay. So based on the phototric study the um it's in compliance with those ordinances

from what I can tell by the time it gets across the street because we have the public rightway there we have some buffer we might Todd do you have a a more definitive answer on that to to ensure that we will be limited to half a foot candle there

no I I I can't cite anything in this packet other than um the one that has the large radius Martin around the baseball field where the where it goes from like 0.5782 I I don't know if that's what uh Musco is is trying to detail there but certainly that number seems incredibly small if you said five foot candles is the limit for light spillage uh 0.5 on that I mean as I was looking at it looked like it was in compliance. I know the the new

That's interesting you say that Mark because the one number that goes above 0.5 they actually put in green um if you guys have the one um trying to think if there's any way to th this hand out here guys you see the one is highlighting green I notice that is a 0.596 um hopefully that's spilling onto our own current middle school parking lot here in the future. So, I guess we wouldn't technically we certainly wouldn't be on a neighbor's property because that's in essence straightaway center field. So, we'd be we'd be safe there. Um, where we get into the residential obviously on the right side of the field or the bottom of the page and it looks like we're pretty comfortable under that five mark. So, I guess that's what that handout is. And then there's another one similar to that. Maybe not. And that was the one that talked about the the lake spillage.

If if I may, the one graph you're showing, it says that the scan average is 0.0488 and that's where it shows the drawings are. I don't know how you see that. Yeah, that's it. Which is obviously under our Well, yeah. Well, below. And that's over top of the baseball practice building, too. Yes.

Well, here's a parking lot right here. So streets right here. Okay. Parking lot. Yep. Yep. There's your baseball. Was over. So that's that's going into the neighbor's uh front yard. They just don't show any distance, right?

Oh my And then if you look at the summary illumination summary of the top that's where it tells you in theory it should be good. Yeah. I have nothing else.

Okay. Any other? Okay. So, do I hear a motion? Um, mayor, do you want to say anything or I'm sorry, I'm good with it. And Marty, you're okay. Recommendation. Yes. Staff's recommendation is for approval. Thank you. Okay. All motion to approve the application as submitted. I second. Okay. Mr. Sarah. Yes. Mr. Leage. Yes. Mr. Reid. Yes. Mr. Mahalsson.

Yes.

Okay. Passes. So, next item on here is a public hearing and it's for the development review application number DPL10-26-1 located 351 Wise Avenue Northeast North Canton. Uh development review for conditional use permit application number CUS-26-2 to allow a new field lighting system for the existing boys baseball stadium same location. Uh any other further comment?

No. Okay. Um any questions from the public. Can I get up close and look at it? That absolutely. If I can see where the seventh street is and why. So that'll give you a relationship to what you guys were saying about the lights hitting the neighbors and what it looks like here. It's just going to be the people on Wise and Seven. one house there. It's on the hill and some of those houses and not ours or our neighbors. I just need a closer look at it. Thank you.

Can you pull that up? There you go.

All right. So, there's that parking lot. So, bring it down more to the next slide. There you go. Yeah, there's that parking lot. That's the grassy area. There's the sidewalk, right? And this is the street. Correct.

Which is wise. And you guys are saying that it's this green area that's the maximum. No. Um, can you pull down to next next uh next? There we go. So, the average illumination is 0.0488 0488. And if you look over here, go up just a hair. There you go. You can see that the distance out when it gets into the residential, that's the level. Okay. In relationship to the street light that's there. Yeah.

Is it brighter or is it lower? Not as bright as the street lights themselves from that road. I can't answer that, but I would assume the street light would be much brighter. No, I don't have a problem. I mean, it's no big deal if the street light is the same or brighter, then that little bit going onto the street or on their front yard. Shouldn't bother them. It ain't going to bother my house any, I don't think. Well, I know we are. We're at the curb up there. Go for it. You got the money. Do it.

That's your last chance to get the money. Any other comments from the public? Answering. She answered her own question, of course. Um, any comments from the city? All good. the board plan commission board. I get nothing. Okay, I hear no comments. Do we have an approval motion? I'll move to approve development review application DPLN-26-1. I'll second. Roll call. Mr. Reid?

Yes. Mr. Mahalsson? Yes. Mr. Sarah? Yes. Mr. Leage? Yes. Okay. The next item is adjourned. Do we agree? Yeah. Get down to your Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. Sure.