The North Royalton City Council introduced legislation at its December 7 meeting that would place regulations on Small Box Discount Stores. This comes after a moratorium and subsequent renewal was placed by Council.
In October, 2020, the North Royalton City Council unanimously adopted legislation that placed a temporary moratorium on small box discount stores across the City. The measure was introduced by Ward 2 Council Representative Linda Barath, Ward 1 Council Representative Jessica Fenos, and Ward 3 Council Representative Joanne Krejci. It was also co-sponsored by Council President Paul Marnecheck. Legislation extending the moratorium was unanimously adopted at the November 16 Council meeting.
According to the moratorium legislation, “the City of North Royalton may legitimately regulate the location and approval of Small Box Discount Stores, which are defined as a retail store between 3,000 and 15,000 square feet in size, that sells direct to consumers a limited assortment of physical goods, products, or merchandise, personal grooming and health products, household goods, and other consumer products, including food or beverages for off premises consumption, most individual items being sold for $10 or less, and having less than 15% of shelf space dedicated to fresh food and produce.” It goes on to talk about the City’s Master Plan for development, which is required to be reviewed at regular intervals. It notes, “that review is to be undertaken in the coming months and all recommendations be presented to Council and the electorate next year, 2021, and that such review will include the questions and concerns regarding Small Box Discount Stores.” Now that the Master Plan has been adopted, the legislation now states that the “Department of Community and Economic Development requires a period of time to develop the zoning tools to implement the recommendations of the adopted Master Plan.”
It goes on to state that “this Council believes that a temporary moratorium on the acceptance and processing of applications for zoning, occupancy, conditional use and/or building permit approvals for Small Box Discount Stores in any Zoning District in the City, and on the issuance of such approvals, will not deny property owners the economically viable use of their property and will permit the City Administration, Council and Planning Commission necessary time to undertake a review of the North Royalton Zoning Code in conjunction with the Master Plan review and possible amendment thereof relative to the location and approval process for Small Box Discount Stores.”
The initial moratorium was in effect for a period of twelve months from the effective date of the ordinance or until the adoption of the Master Plan amendments, whichever comes first. The legislation that extends the moratorium will do so for a period of six months. With the moratorium, “the City shall not accept or process any applications for zoning, occupancy, conditional use and/or building permit approvals for Small Box Discount Stores in any Zoning District in the City, and further shall not issue any such approvals during said period,” according to the ordinance.
Now that the second moratorium is in place and the Master Plan is approved, Council introduced legislation at its December 7 meeting that amends the City’s codified ordinances that regulate local business districts. According to the legislation, City Council wishes to “define and limit the new construction of commercial storefronts for Small Box Discount Stores in order to promote the reuse of existing, vacant commercial storefronts within the City.” Under the Use Regulations for Local Business Districts, the following verbiage was added: “Small Box Discount Stores, provided they are at least 2 (two) linear miles from any existing Small Box Discount Store unless the proposed new Small Box Discount Store is reoccupying a previously existing, vacant storefront.” This legislation was placed on second reading and referred to the Building and Building Codes Committee, which will take place in January.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer