Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening. This is the city of Twinsburg planning commission meeting for Monday, November 17, 2025. Roll call. Mr. Shipley here. Mr. Walker. Mr. Oh, wait. This is an old one. It has Dman's name on it. Wow. Gosh. Mr. Cohen, present. Mr. Sheck, here. Mr. Hog, yes. If we could please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. We begin this evening with the public hearing for the conditional use permit request for home occupation 1246 Waldo. The applicant can please come forward. Uh name and address and a presentation for the community as to what you're asking for this evening. Yes. My name is Laura Shu. My address is 1246 Waldo, Twinsburg, Ohio. I am looking to use my home for part-time massage therapy services. I recently um completed a program at TRIC last August and I'm certified by the state medical board and I work full-time someplace else. So, I would just like to use the space maybe two evenings and Saturdays during the week.

Is there anything else? Anything else you'd like to share? Now's your opportunity. Um, I don't think I can think of anything. Thank you. Uh, it's opportunity for members of the community to come forward and speak on this item. If you have anything to say, whether it's for uh in favor or opposed to this, now is your opportunity to speak. Anyone come forward? Seeing no one, the public hearing will now be closed. Um, if you could come back actually up to the podium because we're in the work session and this is the first item on the agenda for the work session. Okay.

Um, I think that um everything was pretty well outlined in the uh planners report. um had the conditional use permit application and uh the items for consideration were all answered and addressed and I had no comments or questions. Ed, did you have anything? No, sir. Steve, um no. I think uh I commend you for actually coming forward and actually getting conditional use permit because I'm sure we have some instances out there that aren't documented. But um wish you well in your business endeavor.

Thank you. I I I I echo Steve's appreciation for bringing it to us and seems like uh it's not going to affect the neighbors area. So, I'm all in support of it. Thank you, Scott. Uh anything Nothing additional. Wish you the best in your endeavors. Mayor, anything on this? Uh nothing on this. Thank you, Lynn. Anything else that the planning commission should uh take into consideration?

I'm with you guys. This is really straightforward. There's plenty of parking space in the driveway. Um, the applicant has done a nice job with really being specific about anticipated hours of operation and yeah, good on you. The day she turned in, my neck was killing me. What? First customer seemed like a really good idea.

All right, then. I think we're good for the work session. Uh, do we have any issue if we move item number two in the work session into the regular meeting agenda? That way we can go through this and make sure the applicant won't have to stay around unless they want to. Is that everyone okay with that? Yep.

Okay. Um, then uh we're going to go into the regular meeting uh portion of this evening's agenda. Um, and we'll be with you in just one moment back on this. Um uh first item is the approval of the October 20th, 2025 planning commission meeting minutes. Is there any comments or corrections to those minutes? Seeing none, they'll be accepted as submitted. Uh second item is public participation. Opportunity for members of the community to address planning commission on any topic. If anyone would like to come forward and speak, now is your opportunity. name and address, please.

Jane Weiss, 2586 Maple Drive, Twinsburg. And I would just like to say uh Maple Maple Drive residents are definitely very interested in what the downtown planning commission is is working on the downtown redevelopment and um very interested in communication and uh resident input on that. Last honestly the last I knew about was the 2014 when they had the comprehensive plan. my husband and I and our son came and and saw the the great the the plans that were laid out and we've never heard anything about it since then. Now we know properties are for sale on on 82 and um so it seems like the speed is picking up and we just want to know if that's still the plan if there's room for ad adaptation what the input is from the community to get input to actually before it's developed. So concerned residents are interested what you're doing tonight and ongoing. Thank you.

We're well we're happy to have you here uh to see what's going on. Obviously it's open for all members of the community to come forward that we we we hope so. Uh this is the first time that planning commission is seeing what's being discussed for this. So you're fresh with us. Um obviously this is going to be a process. this isn't something that's just steamrolling through because it's important and there's a lot involved in doing so. Lynn, is there anything else that you could share about this or the process? Um, I guess in terms of what I heard um that you that you touched on the tonight's proposal doesn't involve East Royal Road specifically.

Well, we're concerned about the whole downtown. Obviously, we're right there. So just to want want you to know there are residents who are concerned that want to be communicated with and to have input on it. Understand? Not knowing what the process is. All right. Thank you. Anyone else like to come forward? Now is the opportunity to address planning commission. All right. Seeing none, we'll go on to the third item, which is the conditional use permit. You could come back up to the podium. Mhm. And anything else you'd like to share regarding your request for planning commission this evening? I do not have anything else. No. Okay. Uh, anything else? Ed? No, sir. Steve? Nope.

Craig? No. like to make the following motion. Upon reliance upon representations made by the applicant along with the submitted conditional use request and application for Laura Shu, PhD LMT 1246 Waldo Way, permanent parcel number 64618, dated October 30th, 2025. I move that planning commission recommend to city council issuance of a conditional zoning certificate to allow a licensed massage therapy home occupation at 1246 Waldo way. We'll second. Second by Steve. Any discussion? Roll call. Mr. Cohen. Yes. Mr. Sheck. Yes.

Mr. Hogar. Yes. Mr. Shipley. Yes. So for O this is a recommendation to uh city council where they will have the final say on your request. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

All right. So the next item would be the concept plan for the downtown redevelopment site. Applicant could please come forward and name, address, and what we what we're looking at this evening. All right. Yeah,

Lynn, is what we're looking at also going to be coming up on the monitor so that it's a little easier probably to see here. Okay, we we do have here. I I want to make sure that that the community has can see if we need it oriented, but if everything's going to be up on the Well, I think I think it's going to show up on the monitors as well. If not, we'll reorient it so that you can see.

Good evening everybody. Hi, my name is Ryan Toronto. Um, actually live in Aurora at 650 South Sussex Court in Aurora, Ohio. Um, my, uh, family is from the Twinsburg area, my wife's family to be exact, and, um, have been a Twinsburg advocate for for many, many years now. Plus, I'm married to my wife for 20 years now, so I kind of have to kind of have to like Twinsburg no matter what, right? Um, I uh met had the great fortune of meeting Rebecca not so long ago and Ian uh Jones, who's with me here, who's from Avid Arch Architects, formerly MPG Architects, um, brought me the opportunity because he was actually on your working committee for the downtown resoning district uh, referendum vote that you all did and I think you did that pro bono to to help out with the overall city planning and so forth. So, in any event, Ian knew about the opportunity, introduced me to Rebecca, and we were able to come up with a with a um a concept plan specific to what we think the reasonzoning um was done for. And and I know there was a lot of time and effort and and hard work put into that resoning. So, what I thought I'd do today was go through um the presentation that we had previously given on a couple different occasions now and talk about what we have planned for the the sites in particular and then go through any comments or questions that that that you all have. I'll talk a little bit about my company, my development company as well just to make sure you all understand our experience and and so forth. Um, so we have come up with the name Twins Crossing District. Um, am I doing something wrong, Rebecca?

There it goes. Sorry. And just to give you a quick quick background on on my company. So, I founded Terara Real Estate Enterprises some time ago now, a little over six years ago now. My primary background is in the is in the finance world. I I've uh be become for for lack of a better word uh and I have the gray hairs to show it a structured finance person and I started off in in banking and predominantly doing real estate finance for investment properties and then moved slowly but surely into uh real estate development. The first property that I bought is was actually located across from the old Msaras where we bought a couple of condos and rehabbed them. they were in they were in foreclosure and and eventually rent rented them out and sold them. So I kind of started really from the the bare bones of of real estate. So over that time my company has has done almost a little over a billion two of of real estate development and finance. We own properties currently in in Rocky River Parma Parma Heights Hyram Ohio. Um we own a property down in Calabes North Carolina which is near uh Myrtle Beach and it's predominantly u multif family. Um the project that we have in Rocky River is sort of a a landmark project for us in the sense that it took some time to get it reszoned and titled and built. It's 71 units. It's going to open here in January and we're expecting nothing nothing but good things um from that. So like I said, my background is primarily in the finance side and and we've migrated into or I have migrated rather into the development. So we have a full-scale property management company, development company, finance company. Um, but we do outsource a lot of our uh work to uh the legal professionals and and obviously the architects and engineers and we've worked with Ian's group on a on a number of projects that have that have turned out real well. Um, so that's quick background on us and

I get this thing working here. I'm sorry. Okay, so the the Twins crossing district and I think it's probably easier just to go through the site plan. I can I can always flip back to this in a minute, but I think the site plan is a little bit easier to to see. Little connectivity issue here. I like to just hit all the buttons.

There we go. So if if you do have the print out in front of you, I'll kind of go through it in color because I I think that's probably the easiest way to do it. And then u if you guys have any specific questions, this would just be a great time to to ask anything. I'm sure there there'll be more along the way. So as as you all know, the city owns portions and and the CIC owns portions of of the above land. The other land owner is uh Regis and Kelly Brown. Um we we have a a letter of intent with Regis and Kelly that hopefully turns into a full signed purchase agreement here um within the next week or so. We're on the final version of of negotiating that. And the idea here was to create a development that fits within the the zoning that you all did, but also complements a lot of what uh was happening on the site previous to to to the redevelopment. So, um, it's kind of starting from the green and then working our way toward toward Route 91. Um, the plan here is to acquire the city's parcel as well as Regis's parcel, create a park up, for lack of a better word that I'll use in the meantime. And then that park would be given back to the city for for use by by the residents, including the roads and roadways within within the project. Those will be given back to the city to be maintained. And the idea with the park is to create a bike and hike trail, uh a a sledding hill because I know that the majority of of the residents really like the sledding hill um that's there currently. I used to take my kids there many years ago now. And um a splash pad along with pickle ball courts um as well as a pavilion area that has a playground and an amphitheater. So we think that those will be net huge benefits to the city. uh the the cost of those of that part of the project is somewhere in the

$6 to7 million range. Um as we're still pricing and and bidding all that out and we do think it will complement um the overall site altogether. The the blocks kind of sort toward the middle of the page that are in would you say that's orange Ian? I think orangeish color will be twostory town home products. Um you've probably seen something similar if you've been down to Columbus. We we if Ian if you want to throw up the the renderings of that th those are threetory buildings. I don't think we could find any two stories. So I think they they'll look very similar to brownstone/ uh town homes that you've probably seen like I said in Columbus andor New York the Chelsea area has has a lot of that. So we do target these to be occupied by probably empty neester uh types um folks that don't want a lot of maintenance. Each unit will have its own garage, two-car parking garage. It'll have parking on the street, although it's kind of hard to see from the initial drawing that we site plan that we have up there. And um it'll have spectacular views of of the park area, as you all probably know, the the grade of that sort of goes up toward from the baseball field to where those orange blocks are drawn today. So, that'll be very very cool views of of the overall uh development. Uh kind of moving again toward Route 91. The idea is to have uh really a multi-family buildings on either side of that main road coming off of the roundabout and I'll I'll touch on that in a second. Um the roundabout would lead into the project and on either side we'd have retail on your lefthand side and retail on your right hand side. Uh we are targeting about 15,000 square ft of retail. Um restaurants, uh fitness studios, things of that nature. probably some complimentary uses to the overall development given that there'll be quite a few residents living on on the

property. So, we are looking at four stories of multifamily above and then toward kind of the post office area in the pink block is a 25,000 square foot block for um a grosser. uh there's a couple of of different grocerers that we think are um targeted and good uses for that particular u portion of the site and we're we're very confident that we will execute a long-term lease with a good national uh grosser that'll complement the other grocerers here in in town. um the idea for the roundabout um noting that there was probably some initial um push back on those when when you all installed them down 91 years ago. Uh I do think that that roundabout would create a good traffic flow given that there's two traffic lights obviously at Route 91 and 82 and then one toward where the entrance where the Chipotle and Dairy Queen is. So the idea with that roundabout is to create really good traffic flow as well as a stopping point for that we think will be helpful to the retailers and healthy for the retailers for their long-term success on the project. So um overall uh we we think that everything meets the current building and and zoning code. um Ian with all his elaborate experience in doing so. Hopefully, uh we we've touched on everything with respect to that, but obviously we're very open to any commentary, any questions on that.

Um I really didn't have a lot else uh to to go into detail on because I figured there would be a lot of questions specific to the multifamily. The rendering that brought here, that's that's literally the the building that I'm building in Rocky River. And we think that the fi the fit and finish of the multi-story building that'll have the retail on the ground floor will look a lot like that at the end of the day. Uh Rocky River was was very very very particular as to how the site would look and how the building would look and it it took me three and a half years to get that reszoned and titled and and and eventually built here. So, um I'm growing gray hairs by the day on that on that one in particular. Um, I did have a construction timeline here. If this will click over in a second. Um, the construction timeline was really we were hoping to close on everything the first quarter of next year. Um, there there's different types of um, bond financing that we would be using to to get the the project built. As you all probably know, with interest rates being what they are, costs being what they are, labor costs being what they are, it's very difficult to build any new construction project right now. So, we are looking at a number of different incentive programs that we're confident that we'll get um in order to to make the project a success from a financing standpoint. So, um that's my last slide. If I can get this to click over, but I don't not sure that I can

stand up. There it is. So, that's that's just a pretty rudimentary and and and simple timeline. So, if we were to start in in March of this March, April of this coming year in 2026, it'll take a good 24 months to to build everything out, probably another 12 months to get all the tenants in and stabilized. And um our plan is to hold it for for the long term. Any of the assets that I own, they're they're long-term holds that I would hope to give to my kids and who would take on the legacy of the of my business as well. So, um with that, that's pretty much the presentation. We'd be glad to answer questions. Ian came along as well. So any direct technical questions, he's he's your guy.

Thank you. Um can you pop that back to the site plan? Sure. It may take a minute. You spoke of the um the yellow for residential and it says two, three, and four. And you chose the mixed use and the purple. Is is it is it mixed to you know retail commercial on the first floor of that entire building and residential? Yeah. Two through four. Yep. Okay. Yeah. Purple is where the retail section would be on the first floor and then yellow would be across all the upper floors. So where it's yellow, that's also uh residential on the first floor. Correct. Okay. So it's not all on the on the very last building to the right. Yeah.

Yeah. I see you have the you have the purple yellow combination and it says yellow. It says floors two, three, and four, but I was wondering what's happening on the first floor of the yellow. And you're saying that it's actually res residential where it's yellow and it's commercial retail where it's purple. Correct. Correct. You got it.

Um, and not to interrupt, address the retail question so we're all on the same page. We we really tried hard to limit the amount of retail going on the site just to make sure that we're putting the right amount of tenants there that will have long-term success. I think the the retail world is is difficult right now just in in general. And we could we could probably sign leases for 50,000 square feet of of retail tenants, but I want them to long-term be very successful. So, we're trying to limit the the amount of it. Well, we want the right mix as well. uh not just to serve the people that are going to be living in that development, but to serve the whole community. Um sure,

there's some great need for some higher end, but restaurant uh bar um types of uses would be nice to see added in there. Sure. Um, you know, just from a planning and zoning and looking at the planning, going to have a a very interesting time getting trucks in and out of that truck dock for that grocery store. Uh, based on what at least I'm looking at right now. Yeah. Um, assuming you're going to have some semid, I'm assuming you will, right?

Um, but that's just a very general thing that could surely be worked out. Uh, overall, I think it looks really nice. I think the um the park area is a a critical component creating spaces for the community to gather who then can hopefully work their way to those purple spaces and utilize them.

Um I don't see that baseball diamond surviving there. I hope it doesn't. I mean I I support athletics like crazy in our community, but uh I could see a lot better use improving that sled and creating some great outdoor spaces for the community to use year round. uh would be would be very nice and the trail I mean yeah it's going right in the perfect direction. So those are my first comments off the top. Uh Ed, uh no I'm just taking it in for a minute. So yeah, there's a lot to take in. It's okay. Keep absorbing. We can come back. Steve, any comments or questions?

Um I think it it's a great it's a great plan to start with. Um, I I think the um I think the views will be actually pretty phenomenal for some of those units down there. Agreed. Uh, thank you for preserving the sled. Um, I've spilled enough blood on that sled over my years.

So, I'm happy to see it stay. Um, it's always been a a gathering spot for the community through the years, all the years I've grown up here. But I I think overall I think this is a great plan to start with. Um I think that's what the downtown needs is something like this and I'm I'm happy to see it. Um I've seen some of the projects in Columbus. My daughter lives in Columbus. So um and the people just seem to thrive with the neighborhood environment down there. Um so hopefully the mix of retail with the residential is complimentary. Um and We could always use another grocery store for sure. So,

thank you, Craig.

Yeah, I'm just excited to see something brought to us. You know, it's been many years living here for 25 years, been talking about development in downtown, and you know, I'm I'm hopeful this can uh make it to to the end and actually be completed. um the the park space is is phenomenal and I'm I'm really glad you you incorporated that into to the uh the design, you know, and opening it up to to the river and just it'll be a nice area to to gather. Um you know, I I echo, you know, some of the, you know, restaurant, bar, brewery type of stuff. That's that's what I love to have here, like travel out of Twinsburg for that. I'd rather stay here in Twinsburg for for that personally. Um, but that's just my per personal opinion. Um, you know, I I hope hope this can stem further development in that whole area because this is just one piece. There's a lot of, you know, areas that can be further developed, but I'm looking forward to this.

Great. Thank you, Lynn. Anything else that you would hope that the bike and hike multi-purpose trail could go all the way through to Creekide. something that we'll work on as the project develops. Absolutely.

Looks like the post office does use the parking at the rear of the building, but that doesn't mean that there isn't some way to enhance the connectivity and get all the way to Creekide. Does the the driveway that's shown coming out of the um southoutheast corner going behind the post office area is that is there paving in that area now that would there's a parking lot there but I don't think it's that close this is a this is wishful think this is of course wishful thinking right now but but would they wouldn't the post office wouldn't lose any parking area if that road went in or do we I think they would

they Okay. Doesn't mean that there isn't ample parking on their site. They are ironically using It looks to me like they use that area for that. Okay. That would be one um in terms of creating that connectivity. We'd like to see that. Um the engineer supported the roundabout, but not necessarily as a standalone. It may not function properly without another roundabout at the other at other ends. So, that's another um

Well, I I have always been a proponent of the roundabout. Uh I'm against people who don't know how to drive now. Um but I think the roundabout itself is a I mean, they've been in Europe and yeah,

forever. I mean, we've seen them when we've traveled. It took a long time to get them here. Um, and I could see how it traffic is flowing like it should and then you get to a stoplight uh a few hundred feet away. It does. But I like the idea. I mean, it looks on paper looks so nice as a focal point and entry into the into the development and and would help with that flow. We'd like to tie in the rest of the frontages if nothing else with wider sidewalks and streetscaping um to the east of road frontage and the 91 signage that are part of this project. Um so those those are just some things looking forward connectivity of the trail enhancing the the amenities at the street of the the parcels that aren't part of this project and how how could we what could we do to have this roundabout that would make sense? Um we're very supportive of the public roadway through the property. The city the city is fine with taking taking that back and making it city street for us to maintain.

Yeah, the engineer strongly supports the ability to make a right hand for for right-hand turners to go ahead and use that connection whether they're at 91 because they really are going through road or if they're visiting the site. And beyond that, the the uses and the parking and really the dimensions all are in compliance with the downtown district standards at this point.

So that was a question for the uh 154 parking spots that would be really primary for the if you're wanting to use the park, that's where you would park. Well, um I don't know. I I interpret that to mean um that would those spots would primarily support the grower. Yeah. I guess that leads the question is is is this parking based on a totally uh square footage of the uses or is there additional parking spaces that would be able to be supplemented to to handle if they were coming to use the park?

Yeah. So right now the the calculation is based on uh just the uses but we we designed a lot um opposite the ger to face the park. So you know those those rear spaces that tend to not be used uh at a ger you know they would be the kind of park amenity parking and then yeah the the units kind of dictate the parking count for the multif family component. the the square footage dictates the the parking amount for the retail. So, I'm sorry, say that again. So, this would not it is it's not taking into consideration park usage or it is uh it is not. It is not.

So, I I don't know if the zoning code has a It doesn't a way to calculate that. Yeah. It's just whether or not there be extra spaces beyond what the code requires for the for the square footage of the uses. Like you said, a lot of times the grocery store has got more parking than it needs. Like you said, those far away spaces you see are are empty in a lot of cases. Um, fortunately, they're near the pickle ball courts in the other area. I I keep trying to envision in my mind what it would look like if there was a little a little spot down at the bottom of the hill kind of where there is now for the supports the baseball diamonds. But I don't know if it's worth giving up the green space to throw in a a little paved area there. Yeah,

if you're coming to the park, you can walk a little bit because you're coming to the park. Good point. But it's just something that to think about. Yeah. If push came to shove and that had to happen, the parking would be permissible in this flood district prepared area, whatever, however you want to character. Yeah. So, so that being said, we might want to consider not having the baseball field there. Yeah, I don't think any I think the baseball field was included just because it exists. I don't know that that really

Yeah, we're not married to it. It was something that's there now. I think some of maybe it's 50/50 on who likes it and who doesn't, but I I think that we've expanded some of our facilities and I think this is it's kind of it's on its own island out there. Um but if moving forward with this plan, I don't think we have parking to support it. So I would I would say let's redevelop it and make it more park space. And um agree,

you know, I think there's better uses for it. Even if we add some additional parking down there, if the the bike trails going through there, there's perfect trail head parking place there. So just just thought it the multifamily in yellow is all surface parking. There is no garage parking for those units. Correct. Right. and then speak to if you could that sort of hash yellow the tunnel area. Yeah. So, as Lynn was pointing out,

um in between the two yellow buildings to the rightmost side of the of the plan, um Ian came up with a great design where in between there would be a tunnel for the cars to drive through and a and sort of an awning or a covering over that. We we'll get you some more detail on it. very very conceptual right now. The ideal be entrances into the building have covered. Correct. Instead of a port sticking out somewhere. Correct. Yep. Yeah. Makes sense. Yeah. Cuz it never rains or snows in Ohio. Not in northeast Ohio. Uh

well, traffic. What do we envision? That is one of my commutes to one of my places is down a rural road south on 91. And right sometimes it's bad now. Yeah. What do we envision it to be? It's a great question. We have to get a traffic study done. So a couple different reasons obviously to to do the roundabout and determine if

if there if this was to move forward. Uh do we do a traffic light instead of a roundabout? I think the roundabout makes the most sense uh to me, but that doesn't mean I'm right about it. So we need to do a traffic study to answer it. But you're right. I mean that that that area is uh something we we have to consider and and deal with accordingly. But in in my opinion, that's probably a good way to do it because it keeps the traffic moving. But we'll we'll have to Yeah. When I leave some sometimes it's the lights are backed up all the way to Aurora. Right. Right. Yeah. Okay. I think that

probably more to come on that. the the road cutting through the development being a city road, but help a little bit of that, but you're generating more traffic, but you're kind of trying to create a way to alleviate, right? And at the same time, so yeah, I could definitely definitely see that. Um, which would also be nice for that driveway to creek side because then you could come out the backway and get out to a light. Correct. Turn left to head south if you needed to. Down correct down 91. I can see speed bumps going. That's be the next question. Any other comments or questions? Mayor, did you have anything you wanted to uh share with us on this?

I would love to. Um yeah, and you know, this is probably the um in my years, there's been at least two, if not three, other plans that I've seen for this area. And truthfully, when Ryan came along with his plan, um this one seemed to make the most sense. um he added the component of the park area down uh below the hill in that area there. And speaking of the ball field, the city's not married to that ball field either. So, uh we would have no there'd be no heartbreak for us if if that ball field went away. Okay.

Um some are saying that I need to put a ball field somewhere else if that goes away. But, uh that's for another conversation. But um yeah, I I think it I think it's a great uh component with the with the mixed use of course is what what we were looking for there with the living spaces and with the uh the uh retail. Um and I really believe that it adds to what we've been looking for in our downtown area. You know, for as most of you know, I've been around here now in Twinsburg on city council for 20 years and and now in this office. And you know, I've always said that Twinsburg is a drive by city and that's why, you know, we have we have a nice we have a nice downtown now. However, I think we're going to have a beautiful downtown when we can get some of these projects completed and that includes what the township is doing in the center of the square and then what we are proposing for some of the outlying buildings, uh some facade improvements, and then our beautifification program coming down into uh down 82 into the square. And this project really lends to um to what we're looking for. And I think that it's going to bring people to our downtown. And I really like the component of the um of the the walkway going from, you know, from uh Rivera Road there or 82 down to Creekide. I think that that's a nice component. So I think this is uh it's really workable, Ryan. And I you know, I applaud you for bringing this to us. Um, and this is something that I I've seen that uh all of us most for the most part have gotten behind this this project and would like to see happen. So, I think it's a good use of that space and again to bring people into our downtown area to make it more vibrant, more usable, and as you, as some of you know that have been around a while, we've had various restaurants down there. Uh, the last one being Serio's Italian restaurant where Starbucks is now that didn't last there. And there's been other things in in the plazas there that haven't lasted. We just it's never been a destination.

Twinsburg wasn't a destination. And I think that um I'm not looking to make it, you know, um any one of the the big Hudsons or Sugarrin Falls. We're never going to be that. And and we don't want to be that. But we want to be a destination for people to come in and to be able to come to their downtown and be able to walk around a little bit. And and I love the the component of the sledding hill. In the other projects that I've seen, the sledding hill was gone. and it was going away and that was mostly going to all be developed there. There was no park area and so I really love that that park component and and what he's put into it and I think you put a lot of thought into it. So, thank you very much and I I think it's something that um our our community needs and I think it really fits into uh into the plan. I think it's going to be really nice. So, I hope uh I hope you guys like it and and that it works out uh in the long run. I hope that we can make this happen.

Thank you. Sure. Um so Lynn, h how is is this project move moving forward from the um aspect of um having the community uh see what's going on now uh having the ability to make comments um for consideration by planning commission at some point I'm sure ARV when the designs start to happen I mean everybody has an opinion um but um you know how how does this move forward you know, in the next step and and again making the community aware and giving them those opportunities to see and talk.

So the be before we get to to um a serious um community input portion of the process, we have a development agreement um ironing out finances with the schools. couple couple steps to um get up before we would have um something concrete to share with the public. And so I think when we're ready to do that, when the team's ready to do that, we'll just have a special we'll just have a special presentation meeting that and we get the word out to the public.

Is it is it worth making even this available to them to see or do you think I mean because anybody could have come here. Is that premature to have it up on the website or

what we what planning and zoning and economic development had did for the zoning code update was to create a project page on our together twinsburg software product and right now um we're starting we're kicking off a streetscape project and so we're starting to put information on together twins for a project page on that um software. So I I think maybe we do the same for this project. We we create a page that has everything you ever wanted to know about the project on it and we do that in addition to having um public meetings.

So um you said something kind of made me pull in something else. I think it was mentioned uh that Avid Architects is also working on the storefront renovation portion for the buildings that are around the square and those those what they worked on for conceptual ideas. Uh I don't know if the store owners implement them if they're required to do the Avid Architects design concepts. My only thought on where I'm going with this is that the work that they do there architecturally blends in with what is happening on this site so that we're not having hodge podge and and I know it doesn't have to be the same and we see that in in many of these a lot of times storefronts are different specifically that give them a an interesting characteristic and identity. However, if we're going western reserve, if you will, on one and contemporary on the other, that's that's not what I would want to see. Um, we'd want to see some correlation and tie in. So, um, I I don't know if there's an answer to that. It's just more of a comment

anybody. Yeah, speak to this as well as also speak to maybe creating some consistency with the streetscape. Correct. Correct. So, Lyn Lyn, sorry. kind of go up to the microphone. Okay. Can you all hear me? Yeah.

Um, so correct. We had Avid Architect um do some design renderings for properties that were right along the square in hopes that we would do some sort of a facade improvement program. The renderings have come back. Um, we've shared them with the property owners and we do have two property owners that are very interested in moving forward with them. um they hope to have uh transferred property ownership and then be getting bids in the spring which is great. Um they do not have to follow to a tea what was presented to them. It was just merely an idea. So sometimes it's very hard to picture what you know your property could look like but we will have safeguards put in place on that. What includes the facade improvement program? Is it the back of the building? Um does it include any interior work? It wouldn't be at this point. It would just be exterior. With that being said, so we do anticipate two prominent buildings um along the square partaking in that program. And then we also have um environmental design group which is now kicking off their um they're doing their survey work starting on December 8th. Um they're the streetscape consultant. They're very much aware of that CIC facade improvement program. So they're blending that in. They're very much aware of this project. They are also very much aware of all these other projects going on and that they do have to be compatible with each other. So, we do anticipate and we haven't um we're it's exciting because we haven't made it this far before. Um but we do anticipate um a significant amount of public um input in terms of surveys where where we can have input. Um so, especially with those park amenities, I think we're going to want to get feedback from the residents on what they want to see because maybe everyone wants to see the ball field. I don't think they will, but we could be wrong. Um, but I think that's the type of the type of things that people want to chime in on. What do our lamp posts look like? Um, but also being realistic on what can actually go there. So, I agree with you that if one of these drops in the bucket kind of is setting the tone for the whole downtown

and we're very aware of that and hoping to have it all work together. Thank you. Yeah, I think that that's I think it's real important. I mean, I'm glad to hear that we have some property owners that are looking at that storefront renovation project. That's awesome. Um, on the other hand, if they're going to happen first, I don't want them being the the horse that's leading this cart, which is much bigger than those. I mean, it's still equally important in my mind, but

you I mean, I'm sure you understand, everybody understands that we we want we want it to to be a cohesive uh blend so that the downtown really does uh sparkle. Um um just going back to the parking again on the first level where we have the yellow multifamily. Yeah. Is that there's 69 spots. Does that include for just the families or with the retail as well? What is that? Uh

just question question. Uh yeah. So we we don't have uh the parking designated per se. uh you know this has to be residents only or this part's for retail. It's um so that will include the families and retail the 69 units 69 spots.

Yeah. I mean I'm sure you know down the road if if it makes sense that only um you know residents park there and then retail parks in the southern lot, you know, that could be something that's implemented. Um, but right now we're just looking at the aggregate numbers across the site. I'm just questioning how many parking spots cuz for us to, you know, anybody who doesn't live right here to utilize this, you'd have to drive to and park, especially if you wanted to use the park. Would there be parking on that city street? Yeah. So, we would be able to

Yep. We do show street parking which is along the whole um public street. Um and so the idea of that is twofold. To allow you to park very close to that retail, but then also um the idea of this is to be, you know, a pedestrian friendly type of environment. And so th those parked cars actually create like a safe buffer for people to feel comfortable walking on the sidewalk. Cool. Yeah. Yeah. Kind of like Pinerest has the I parallel parking coming back, huh? Yeah. Press the button. Yeah, press the button and then the car will do it for you.

Um, any other comments from anybody up here on the podium? All right. So, those of you who came this evening, I'm going to give you the opportunity if anybody in the audience and members of our community have any questions or comments, um, come up please and give your name and address. And I remember that this is a conceptual idea and we're all seeing it for the first time, but we're happy since you did come, I want to give you the opportunity to express yourself. So, name and address and

yes, I'm Audrey Canler, 2520 Maple Drive. I'm just curious about the uh roundabout. Where where exactly would that be? It's the same is the drive that goes into Giant Eagle right now. Oh, so right by UPS. Okay, thank you. Well, south of the historical society. Yep. Right. Um not where there's a traffic light now. Correct. Correct. Okay. Correct. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

Doug Johnson, 2618 Maple Drive. Uh thank you for the opportunity. I'd like to congratulate you because this has been talked about for years and I I think that uh you've done a really nice job on it. I do have a question about the historic home uh that is called Dr. Grisk's home uh reputedly on the Underground Railroad. Uh very significant right now. If you take a step, you'll fall on Route 91. It's so close to the street, right?

Um what are your plans for that and other hopefully otherwise and raising it? Um and could that be incorporated somehow right here into the design? This one over here. And again, thank thank you for uh for showing us this. You've done a great job. Um, could could the audience see the um the renderings of a home? Great. Thank you.

So, um, there's going to be a very bad answer to your your question. I didn't know that home was historic. Um, take I have to look into that and I'm sure Rebecca there's probably some things we would need to deal with because it is a historic building and that's your wheelhouse, right? So, um, 91. If we could keep it, we will. I'll tell you that. Um, if if it's something we'd have to incorporate into it, we'll do that, too. So, that's probably what's uh that's probably something I need to do a lot more research on, to be honest with you. So, I don't want to I don't want to give you a wrong answer or a bad answer. So, yeah.

Yeah. So, we'll look into it and something we'll get back to. That's it. That's Thank you for your comment. Anyone else would like to have any comments at this time? That's right on the road here. Right there. Jane Wise, 2586 Maple Drive. I just can't quite figure out where. So, the roundabout is uh by the UPS, not where there's a light. Yeah. So, I'm And so, this is Mr. Yeah. Here's here's the Starbucks and Mr. Chicken.

And then you start going up the hill. Here's the barn for the historical society. And then here's the drive in the Chinese. Okay. And so we stay as that house, right?

Rocker's office, right? Yeah. So right now we have 135 units roughly proposed. That's only based on square footage of the building themselves rather than like an actual floor plan. But um that would mean uh that the the residential use would require 273.

So that's across the whole site. So, so the the 135 there's 135 units in this building and this building together estimated and then these town homes are 47. And so the parking demand across all of them is 273. Um and then across all the site uh as far as um different surface parking, the townhouse garages, the street parking, there's 365 total parking spaces, the retail use. So the purple and the brochure they're required. So

remember remember that this is just the conceptual first go around. There's a lot lot a lot. It's okay. I just car the grocery store needs to be redone. Absolutely.

So, and and the mayor said it a little bit earlier. I don't think that um we want to make Twinsburg like at Sugar Falls or Pinerest or um the the project in Hudson first in Maine. But there are those types of tenants that I that I think are needed in the sense of restaurants, restaurants with bars, a wine shop, um or a a wine get together. There's a lot of really really great tenants out there that in Twinsburg today that we think we can relocate to to the site. Um but I we really want to make it something that's active where the the not only the residents that are living on the site can use, but in addition to that, as the mayor articulated earlier, someplace people want to come to. So, so it'll be those those types of tenants. And as you probably have seen over time, um the retail is evolving. It's very different. If you go to the movies, the movies is considerably different than it was 10 years ago. So, there's a lot of new exciting concept tennis. A lot of which I can't talk about just yet because we're under confidentiality agreements and it I just need to make sure we're sensitive to that. But, it it will be activating type of retail if that makes sense.

Thank you. Um I again I know this is preliminary and schematic. Um the town homes did you say that the intent was there'll be two twocar garages for them? And the way that it's represented now those buildings are right on the road. There's like no driveway. So there'd be no parking in front of the garage space. Correct. Right.

So, so the townhouse uh the townhouse products have like an alley and that that maneuverability is shared for the the ones there to the east of the site and then the ones on the west of the site, they just have they have their own. But yeah, uh just to be um efficient and not waste the the pvious surface. Um so so yeah, they would share, you know, I think they would would highly likely not be leaving exactly the same time. Um,

no, no. Yeah, it just it it um it helps with the count if you had a guest come. I guess in this case, their guest is using the parallel parking in front of the unit. Correct. That's why you don't see like the little guest parking lots, if you will. And and I and I appreciate that. Uh just thinking about pulling in and out of those garages with, like you said, maneuverability space. Normally, you'd have that driveway even if it's only 20 ft. Yeah. Um here you're pretty much right on it. So um that's all. I mean if you've done the product and you've seen it work then then Yeah. Yeah. We've seen this work. Uh it it works in a lot of sites that around University Circle. They they kind of do the Yeah. Yep.

Yeah. All right. Anyone else? Well, thank you very much for coming this evening and sharing this uh with us. Um, I'm sure that we'll continue to think about this. If we have other comments or questions, we can share them with Glenn. We'll pass them on to you. Um, I know this is just the start of a of a long process and knowing the process. Um, but um, we appreciate it that uh, that you share these with us this evening. Hopefully, it's not three and a half years. What's that? Yeah. Hopefully, it's not three and a half years. I won't make it on that one. Okay. So, thank you for having us. I appreciate it. Thank you everybody.

Um, uh, communications and miscellaneous. Uh, Ed, anything? No, sir. Steve, uh, nothing. Craig, no, sir. Scott, nothing. Mayor, anything? I have nothing further. Thank you.

Lynn, what uh what do we have coming up on the horizon? If anything that you can share with us this evening? Um nothing other than um anticipate all of the text amendments that we have previously discussed if I'm not mistaken will be sent back to commission from the council. Everything that we've recommended y it's coming back

coming back and I'm going to share with you at that point um an analysis of the charter language um that regulates which items go to the ballot and which items do not. So some of the items that we've already discussed are not planning commission recommended uh types of items. I think they are planning commission recommended. Well, some can be approved by council and some have to go on the ballot. Correct. I think one of maybe the 20 or how many of these were one might have to go on the ballot. Okay. But um so I don't know if we'll see that in December, but I but that's all I would know of right now.

Well, right now, well, I'm assuming we probably won't have a meeting in December if that's the only item. Exactly. Okay. That's on the 15th is the meeting date. All right. Anything else? No, that is it. Thank you. I do have one thing. I wanted to thank Scott for his uh participation on the planning commission. Thank you guys. Appreciate it. Been a pleasure. Yep. We appreciate have you having having you here and your input and helping. Thank you. Wish you good luck going forward. Appreciate it. Thank you, sir. Well said, Steve. Thank you. Thanks, Steve. All right. Anything anyone else? I need a motion to excuse Michael from this evening's meeting. So moved. I'll second. Roll call.

That was That was Steve. Mr. She. Yes. Mr. Shipley. Yes. Mr. Hoger. Yes. Mr. Cohen. Yes. Um, in case we don't get together uh on the 15th, I wish everybody a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season, however you celebrate. And you know, we don't see you and a happy and healthy new year. Can't believe it's November. November. We may not see you guys for a couple months. See you next year. See you next year. 729 adjournment.