The North Royalton City Council unanimously defeated a request that could have led to a senior development in the southern end of the city. The proposed 120-unit assisted living complex was proposed for the Bennett’s Corners area.
On February 4, the City’s Planning Commission defeated the preliminary site plan, proposed by Vermilion Ohio Acquisitions, LLC, on behalf of NR4C Ventures, LTD, but approved the Conditional Use Permit that would be necessary for the project to move forward. A conditional use permit is an approval from the City that would allow a particular use on a parcel that is not a permitted use under the zoning of that parcel. The added use would be permitted under certain conditions, which are established by the City. According to the North Royalton Codified Ordinances, “Conditional use permits shall be required for certain types of main uses, as defined in Section 1268.02, generally a publicly operated use or a facility which affects the public interest. Such use may be permitted and desirable in certain districts, but not without consideration in each case of the effect of the use upon neighboring land and the public need for the particular use at the particular location. The application of the planning standards for determining the location and extent of such use is a planning function and not in the nature of a variance or appeal. Enumerated throughout this Zoning Code are certain uses and the districts in which conditional uses may be permitted, provided the following standards are fulfilled and a conditional use permit is granted by the Planning Commission and approved by Council.”
The proposed development, named Silver Birch of North Royalton, would have been built on the six-and-a-half-acre parcel, located at the northeast corner of West 130 Street and Bennett Road. The assisted living center proposed would be 95,000 square feet. The parcel is zoned local business.
The Conditional Use Permit was introduced at the February 17 City Council meeting and placed on second reading. Eight residents, who lived in the development that abuts the proposed project, sent communications to Council. Six more residents addressed Council directly at their March 3 meeting. Some of the objections to the development is that the proposed building would be too high, as the plan shows a three-story building, coupled with the existing grade of the property, which slopes toward the existing houses; the development would go against the the city’s Master Plan, which recommends denser housing options be located around the center of the city; potential storm water runoff issues; increased demand on EMS runs; possible effect on home values.
Council voted unanimously, defeating the application for the Conditional Use Permit. Ward 4 Council Representative, Mary Gorjanc was the only Council member who voiced her opinion, stating that she agreed with the resident who stated that such use may be permitted and desirable in certain districts, but not without consideration in each case of the affect of the use upon the neighboring land and the public need for this particular use at this particular location.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer
