Lisa Sabol sworn in as Brecksville’s new prosecutor

by Kathleen Steele Gaivin

Dec. 7 city council meeting

Brecksville City Council approved Lisa Sabol as the city’s new part-time prosecutor, replacing Sergio DiGeronimo.

Gov. Mike Dewine (R) named DiGeronimo a judge on the Garfield Heights Municipal Court, effective Dec. 20, filling the vacancy created when former Judge Jennifer Weiler retired at the end of September.

“It’s bittersweet. We hate to see Sergio move on, but we also congratulate him,” Mayor Jerry Hruby said. “The governor and governor’s staff recognize his excellence and what a fine job he’s done all these years as prosecutor in the Garfield Heights Municipal Court as our mayor’s court prosecutor.”

Hruby said Sabol has worked alongside DiGeronimo for many years in the Brecksville prosecutor’s office. Recently, Sabol has been attending all court proceedings with DiGeronimo in preparation for the new role “if [DiGeronimo got] the appointment, which he did,” Hruby said.

Valor Acres agreements

City council discussed several agreements with DiGeronimo Development LLC regarding the Valor Acres property at the city’s south end.

Firstly, council heard a first reading of a motion authorizing a development agreement with DiGeronimo Development LLC and VA Land LLC for construction of a mixed used development on a portion of the Valor Acres project site along Miller Road.

“It’s a typical agreement between a developer and the city,” the mayor said. It is similar to the development agreement the city signed with Sherwin-Williams, he said.

Council passed a motion authorizing a mixed-use tax incentive financing agreement with DiGeronimo Development LLC and VA Land LLC for the same mixed used property development.

Council approved a residential tax incentive financing agreement with DiGeronimo Development, VA Vesta II LLC and VA Vesta III LLC to develop a portion of the Valor Acres and Dalad Land sites for a residential development.

Council approved a job creation incentive agreement with DiGeronimo Development LLC for the construction of one or more office buildings with at least 150,000 combined square feet on a portion of the project site.

“They’ll be bringing approximately $40 million in payroll to the site. We have the same percentage we had when we worked with Sherwin-Williams,” the mayor said. “It’s a significant amount of income tax.”

Lastly, council authorized the mayor to enter a subdivision and escrow agreement with DiGeronimo Development LLC for the Canvas at VA subdivision Phase I.

Discussion

The meeting concluded with an hours’ long discussion with residents regarding the Board of Design and Construction Review’s recommendation for 8035 Pershing Ave. Many residents voiced objections to the board’s recommendation for a building permit for a single-family dwelling on the property. 

One issue is the large size of the home proposed in relation to the size of the land.

“What’s being proposed on that [property] proposed there is by far the most massive structure in the city of Brecksville by a factor of almost two times, and on the basis of that, I think it’s something that should be denied,” Broadview Heights resident John Klipfeld said, on behalf of his daughter who lives on Pershing Avenue. “It is too dense. It is too huge. It is totally out of place in the neighborhood,” he said.

Other issues raised include succession of ownership and stormwater management.

“I just want to build a house for my family … I did everything inside of code, hired an incredible architect and organization here to help me build my house, and it seems like it’s been road block after road block after road block,” said Anthony Anselmo, whose company Avatony Holdings currently owns the property.

Councilman Lou Carouse said he voted with mixed emotions.

“If I were going to vote on this on pure emotion, I would say absolutely not. … In everything I’ve done in all my years on council is always turn to the recommendations that we get from our boards and commissions,” he said. “Here we have the board of zoning appeals, planning commission and the board of design and construction review, each one of them having vetted this in detail, coming back with the recommendations to city council that this is something that they’ve vetted and can approve. As well, I’ve gotten the same opinion from the law director in terms of giving us direction as to how we’re supposed to review this.”

Brecksville City Council approved the board’s recommendations for 8035 Pershing Ave. with the following modifications and conditions that must be done prior to permit issuance:

• The property shall be transferred from the LLC to an individual or trust.
• A landscape plan needs to be developed and approved by the city arborist to specifically address the south wall.
• The stormwater agreement has to be revised and provided to the city and must be acceptable to the law director and city engineer. ∞