Streetsboro — A Closer Look

Late Monday afternoon, the city received Bird Houk Collaborative’s final revision of the proposed master plan.
I have posted the master plan chapter by chapter so it’s easy for people to download and read specific passages.

I haven’t had time to review it in its entirety yet, but Streetsboro Planning Clerk Stacey Vadaj said the entire document is now up to 219 pages (a 20-page addition from the last version the city received).

The Master Plan Review Commission will meet July 23 at 7 p.m. at City Hall to discuss the plan. As always, the public in invited to attend and offer input.

Please share any comments or observations about the latest version of the plan.

The master plan draft, submitted by Bird Houk last month, throws down the gauntlet regarding protection of the environment on a variety of fronts.
For years, the green space committee and Recreation & Preservation Committee has been — let us say — not frequently consulted on areas in which they specialize.
In 2007, Council placed a .25-percent income tax on the ballot only to add a competing income tax issue to the same ballot. Neither passed.
Voters have turned down the “overlay rule” which was similar to “conservation developments” being proposed by Bird Houk. The devil — and the difference — may prove to be the details between these two similar concepts.
The city is still working on EPA stormwater control regs that ideally should have been passed in March 2008. A law was passed then, but Planning Director Jeff Pritchard has since called the law on the books “unenforceable.” EPA officials are pleased the city is working toward upgrading their laws, but the laws have been the subject of some bumpy hearings before the planning commission and City Council.
Unchanged, the master plan seems to embrace the goals of the Recreation & Preservation Committee and call for funding open space acquisition (several options are listed). It also seems to assume the passage of updated stormwater control regulations.
The changes — taken as a whole — represent a sea change in how the city deals with its environmental assets. It may be interesting to see what limitations are faced by the first developer who applies to build under the new plan and (hopefully) zoning regulations.

Let me start by saying, there is a ton to talk about in the draft of the city’s master plan.

Just one aspect of it — the proposed reimagining of the commercial corridor of Route 14 from the turnpike to Route 303 — provides enough fuel for discussion to keep a planning commission meeting lively for several hours.

One of the most interesting goals relating to this area is slowing down traffic as it enters the city, passing under the turnpike and past the new WalMart.

I talked to Chris LeGros of CT Consultants about this after the master planning meeting May 28, because it seems like such a daunting task to safely get people to decelerate from, say, 70 mph to 45 mph or less in such a short space.

She said adding some of the traffic calming devices discussed in the meeting ought to help, including creating a boulevard, adding street trees, and limiting the number of curb cuts (driveways) on to Route 14 (did you know you can enter Classic Drive and get to the Econolodge without getting back on Route 14?).

Roundabouts had been mentioned during the meeting, and, without really thinking it through, I sort of joked that putting one in at the Walmart entrance (Singletary Drive) would certainly have the desired effect of slowing traffic. Of course it might have the undesired effect — as Tallmadge Circle occassionally does — of having people crash through the middle of the circle, especially given the speed at which they would be approaching.

There may be ways to warn people about it though — lots of signage, rumble strips etc. I wonder if a roundabout could fix the dicey entrance to the turnpike from Route 14 westbound (where traffic exiting the Walmart and entering the turnpike are forced to merge in a single lane before going their separate ways).

Of all the areas discussed, I think that Route 14 corridor is the most difficult to visualize 20 years from now — a slower road with regional retail, more trees, sidewalks, “appropriately scaled” signage, and scaled back lighting.

It would be very interesting to see a rendering of what that area may look like in the future.

If you’ve been following the master planning process, the day you’ve been waiting for has come.

The Streetsboro Master Plan’s first draft, created by Bird Houk Collaborative, has been released.

There’s a meeting May 28 at 6 p.m. that’s critical to the future of the plan, a key opportunity for residents to reacte to elements they don’t like or suggest additions. The steering committee also meets from 4 to 6 p.m. May 28 at City Hall, another meeting open to the public, but the later meeting is specifically geared toward collecting impressions of the plan from residents.

This cannot be emphasized enough: The Master Plan Steering Committee and Bird Houk want your input into the plan.

The plan, in all actuality, won’t be finalized until City Council signs the resolution accepting it as the town’s blueprint for growth in the future (probably sometime this fall), but now is the best time to respond to elements in the plan.

Also, it ought to be noted that the more members of the public who get involved, the more consensus is developed, and the stronger the plan is legally, according to city leaders.

There’s a lot to this plan. Undoubtedly, some part of it affects your neighborhood, however remote. Don’t be surprised when the plan is finalized.

So take a look at the plan, jot down a few questions or comments, and come to the meeting (or meetings, if you’re REALLY interested in the process) and let your feelings be known.

One stretch of Streetsboro road that’s been described in less than flattering terms is the commercial corridor of Route 14 between the Ohio Turnpike and Route 43.

People have complained about the sheer number and size of signs; the traffic (of course), and the disconnected nature of development along the route.

And one person several years back described the effect the light creates as the “Streetsborealis,” a play on the aurora borealis, a display of light created in the night sky.  Main difference is, “Streetsborealis” is created by the lighting of Route 14 and the businesses dominating its corridor.

Every concept presented by Bird Houk thus far has retained that area as the city’s main retail and office corridor (where else could it be, really?). The lingering question, for me, is, what can be done about the complaints I’ve heard from so many in the community?

One answer, seemingly, is to facilitate the redevelopment the old WalMart and Market Square Plaza, which has 40- to 50-percent occupancy, based on a very unscientific drive-by estimate. The area is large enough and central enough to play host to a town center or multi-use development, built on a human scale (as opposed to vehicular scale – see big box development) and accessible by all modes of transportation.

Disconnectedness may require a little explanation. I’ve been in and out of many businesses along Route 14 over the last several years and have noticed there are a lot of them that are accessible from Route 14 but not from each other.

An exception is the area between Classic Drive and the Econolodge. One can drive from Classic Honda to the hotel without venturing out on to Route 14, although the route is not immediately obvious.

Route 43 north of Route 14 also has this sort of disconnectedness. Short of walking across lawns, there’s no way to go from one property to another without hopping back on to the main road for 30 feet or so.

I’ll be curious to see what sort of tools are available to resolve some of the complaints I’ve heard about the Route 14 corridor

Green buildings have not been discussed at length in Streetsboro, but have been briefly mentioned during the master planning process (they may come up again, I suppose). There are some laws available online, but I can’t say whether they’re well-written or not. The Cleveland Green Building Coalition’s Web site is an interesting place to see what kind of “green” technologies are being used locally.

An event that’s been heralded among Streetsboro’s leaders for many years is finally taking place. The city is working, under the guidance of the planning firm Bird Houk Collaborative of Gahanna, toward a new master plan. One thing that can greatly strengthen the process is the participation of residents, taxpayers, business owners and other stakeholders. In the spirit of providing another venue for stakeholders to read about and discuss the master plan, I’ve launched this blog.

Today, it’s about 65 degrees (or so), sunny and gorgeous outside, which turns my mind to — what else? — master planning.

This is the kind of day I’d like to spend outside walking wherever I go. I just drove to lunch, but to walk would have meant hiking along Route 91 in Stow, which is a little busier road than I’d like to walk.

The topic of walkability and how to attain it seems to come up with great frequency in planning meetings, and it seems to me, there are two basic purposes to walking: Getting somewhere and enjoying the scenery.

As Streetsboro residents seem to describe it, trails along roads, easements and other areas could connect different areas of the city, accomplishing both goals.

At the most recent meeting of the master plan steering committee, members discussed connecting rural properties to a (yet-to-be designed) trail network serving the city.

I suppose bike lanes and sidewalks could be strategically planned to connect disparate neighborhoods to community amenities like schools and parks, too.

But I’ve always wondered how far people would be willing to walk or bike to get to — say — a neighborhood park. Would I walk a mile to a park? A quarter mile?

And what about shopping? If I drive to the grocery store, I can lug home as much as I want with very minimal effort. Biking or walking a load of groceries home presents an obvious challenge.

I actually have shopped by backpack and bicycle at my local grocery store, which is about a mile from my home. As long as I can stay in the residential neighborhood areas, the ride is pleasant and safe, but about two-thirds of the way there, I’m forced on to the main road, a busy 25 mph, four lane street with a lot of retail.

Lacking bike lanes to use, I’m forced to share the sidewalk with pedestrians and to jump several curbs — not an ideal scenario, but also not the end of the world. This not a road where bicyclists can safely share the road with cars, in my opinion. I don’t mind this trip too much, but the ride to the library, which cuts almost exclusively through densely developed residential streets is much more pleasant.

For years, I’ve heard competing theories that go something like this:

“We can beautify city square and make and turn it into the town center it was historically.”

And…

“We need to abandon the idea of a town square at the intersection of routes 14 and 43. The roads are just too busy to consider as a town center area.”

What there does seem to be consensus on is the need for a traditional downtown, a town center, a civic center, whatever you want to call it.

The closest the city has to a central gathering area is City Park, off Route 303, particularly during the summer. Not a whole lot to offer there during the winter, though.

Many people seem to be operating under the assumption a town center would have to be somewhere other than city’s central intersection. There was a fair amount of discussion of alternative locations for a town center, which included the city’s property off Route 303, which currently includes City Park, the police station and service department garage. A stream cuts right between the pavilion and the police station area. The whole thing is about 75 acres or so.

The other locations people have discussed are 300-acre Sahbra Farms, the horse farm at the corner of Route 14 and Diagonal Road owned by David Gross, a vaguely defined area including Market Square Plaza (the old Giant Eagle location) and the former WalMart, and the area bounded by the Ohio Turnpike on the south, Frost Road on the north and Page Road and Route 43 on the east and west, respectively. That area, including existing business and residential properties, is about 380 acres.

The question is, what type of area can successfully support a “town center” (and what exactly does one include, anyway?)

Those whose familiarity with Streetsboro doesn’t extend beyond Route 14’s commercial business areas may doubt it, but residents who travel the backroads know this city has some truly beautiful areas.

Every time I drive from Stow to Streetsboro, I take the backroads — Seasons Road and Diagonal Road especially — and they are lovely.

During the Feb. 26 meeting between the master planning firm Bird Houk and residents, Jim Houk, chief executive officer of Bird Houk Collaborative, said Streetsboro can capitalize on its environmental features and vistas, defining itself as a “green” community, one that features a variety of unusually high-quality environmental resources and work toward providing public access to some of those areas.

Residents at the meeting agreed with Houk the city’s current image is a little vague and not necessarily positive.

Planning and zoning commission member Tom Horsfall said the Cuyahoga River is one of the city’s great strengths.

“Not everyone has that,” he said.

And there are other areas on the east end of town along Diagonal Road where Akron doesn’t control the Cuyahoga that may accessible some day.

Also, Herrick Fen, Gott Fen, Beck Fen, Tinkers Creek State Park and Portage County’s Seneca Ponds Park already are protected. Of those, Herrick Fen, the state park, and Seneca Ponds permit public access.

A trail network has been widely discussed in recent years, and was discussed again Feb. 26. Why not work to create trails connecting these natural landmarks and the city’s parks, as well? Portage County Parks District Executive Director Christine Craycroft has discussed the possibility of a trail through Streetsboro connecting trails in Kent and the Mantua / Aurora area for several years. Maybe this master plan is an opportunity to find a way to make that connection.

Houk said redefining the city as a “green” community could go beyond land use. The city could move toward a “greener” building code, requiring energy efficiency in buildings or try to find ways to help encourage “green” businesses and new technology.

What other areas should be set aside as protected open space? Share your thoughts in a comment.