Center of town parking and snowplowing explained

by Sue Serdinak

Jan. 7 village council meeting

With the Richfield Brewing Company open and filled to near capacity practically every night, the village has received complaints about the parking. 

Mayor Michael Wheeler said he has been watching the situation and on a recent busy night at the brewery, and with an event at Masonic Hall, there were still 30 empty parking spaces.

Wheeler said there are 17 handicap spaces, with some at each building. He acknowledged that the distance from handicap spaces in the east parking lot to the brewery are farther than they would like. He said that it was an oversight not to pave the section of a walking trail that leads from the parking lot to Grant Street, and the trail will be paved as soon as the weather allows.

Service Director Scott Waldemarson clarified for the Richfield Times that the village owns all of the parking lots in this section of the historic district, including the lot nearest the library. The library has a lease with the village to use and maintain that lot. The village plows all the parking lots, except the section that the library leases.

Salt dome

Waldemarson also reported that a salt dome has arrived at village property at 3921 Brecksville Road. The site work to make the building operational will be completed when asphalt plants open in the spring. 

The EPA notified the village a few years ago that all road salt must be stored in an approved, covered building, and fines would be enforced for communities in non-compliance.  

Code enforcement goes online

Assistant Planning and Zoning Director Amy Nauer reported that, starting this spring, the department would begin using CivicPlus to manage zoning permits, zoning violations and code enforcements. The software will also conduct on-demand and pre-scheduled inspections and tracks the status.

 CivicPlus is a module that was added to the village software system at a cost of about $6,000. Nauer said that they have been working with Summit County to get Richfield data integrated with the county data. 

According to the CivicPlus website, the software receives complaints and manages violations for a community. Nauer said village officials could draft and send letters regarding violations through the software. 

Anyone would be able to register a complaint about a property in violation of the zoning code. If a violation exists, a letter would be drafted to the property owner. Complaints may be registered anonymously about any property within the village boundaries.

DORA

Planning and Zoning Director Brian Frantz, did not have a report for the meeting, but asked council to schedule a discussion about creating a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area in the center of town. A DORA allows patrons to take their alcoholic drinks outside a restaurant and into a larger area. 

Council agreed to discuss creating a DORA district at a future council meeting.

 Appointment

Council approved Wheeler’s appointment of Ryan Marse to the Tree and Landscape commission.

Council also approved accepting a $7,500 donation to the K-9 program from Harold Kronenberger.

Wheeler read a letter praising the police department in how the writer’s family was treated following an accident.

Feb. 4 public hearing

Council will hold a public hearing on Feb. 4, prior to the regular council meeting, regarding a proposed amendment to the zoning map. The amendment would change property on Brecksville Road, at the former location of Constantine’s Garden Center, from C-1 commercial to R-4 residential. 

That zoning change was initiated by Petros Homes to allow for a complex of 44 units designed for seniors. The plans call for 38, two-bedroom, 1,350-square-foot units and six, one-bedroom, 805-square-foot units. 

The planning commission unanimously recommended the zoning change and referenced a recently finished comprehensive land-use plan that the village completed with public input. 

Official action

In a related matter, council suspended readings and adopted a six-month moratorium on accepting applications for zoning certificates for multifamily dwellings. 

Council President Ralph Waszak said the moratorium would allow the village time to review the requirements of the current law, and how they relate to state requirements. 

“We want to look at what is on the books for multi-family housing – to see what would be compatible with the village and what will work for us,” he said. 

Council passed a resolution to purchase two new Ford Police Explorer cars from Montrose Ford for $154,000. The purchase will be made through the state’s Cooperative Purchasing Program. 

Council also passed a resolution endorsing AMERICA250-OH and the state’s mission to educate, preserve, innovate and celebrate all Ohioans’ contributions to the nation over the last 250 years.

Councilperson Bobbie Beshara showed a video clip of people sledding at Babb’s Orchard Park.

Public comments

Council Clerk Jeff Gorman read three letters from residents of Gianni Way saying they did not oppose the proposed apartments, but asked that the sidewalk be removed that leads from their neighborhood to Brecksville Road. They said that the sidewalk ends near a liquor store and that isn’t desirable for their neighborhood.

Residents Elisha Burrows and Penny Nickel said allowing multi-family developments in Richfield could lead to Richfield being classified as a city. 

A village is re-classified as a city when its population reaches 5,000. The latest census puts the population of Richfield Village at about 3,700. 

Nickel also voiced concern over the frequency that village trucks snowplow the parking lots near the brewery. 

Pat Healey also spoke against changes that make Richfield more like a city. “We don’t need more commercial enterprises,” she said, and added that she opposes sidewalks in the village.Hank Novak iterated that residents of the Logwood development would oppose that a gas line easement to the east of the development ever be used as a walking trail.