City urges public involvement in Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook process

The redevelopment of Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook has been a long time coming. In the past 15 years Cleveland Heights has adopted new zoning, included the redevelopment in the city’s Master Plan, and sought development partners more than once.

Earlier this year, CH City Council selected and engaged with Flaherty & Collins (the “Applicant”) to redevelop the site with a four-story, mixed-use development containing a mix of residential units, commercial, and green and gathering spaces (the “Project”). Since that time, there has been significant engagement with the community, including many community meetings and the creation of a dedicated project Web page, www.clevelandheights.com/clm.

In my discussions with various individuals over the past few months, there was uncertainty about the review and approval process, including the roles of various city boards. What follows is a summary of that process:

  • The Planning Commission will be the main body to review the overall plan for the Project. It is anticipated that the Applicant will present a preliminary site plan at the Dec. 8 Planning Commission meeting.
  • The Architectural Board of Review (ABR) will review the architecture, materials, and overall “look” of proposed buildings and structures. It is anticipated that the Applicant will present preliminarily on the architecture at the Dec. 21 ABR meeting.
  • The project site is currently zoned C-2X Multi-Use District, which was specifically created by CH City Council in 2004 to encourage denser, mixed-use development near public parking. The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) will review and consider any variances from the current C-2X District zoning regulations requested by the Applicant. It is anticipated that the Applicant will appear before the BZA in January.

City council does not have a role in the design review of the Project; rather, it is responsible for review of the Development Agreement. The Planning Department does not have an approval role; rather it works with the Applicant to guide the application to the various boards, and provide recommendations to those boards.

Every Cleveland Heights resident, property owner, and merchant has a role in the review of the Project through public comment. It is incumbent upon all to:

  • Do your own homework in order to form your own opinions on the Project and its elements.
  • Show up at the right times, since each board has a very specific role. The above meetings are public meetings and the city encourages interested parties to attend.
  • Comment early and often to make sure there is ample opportunity for your comments to be reviewed and considered for integration into the Project.

I encourage everyone to check the project's Web page, www.clevelandheights.com/clm, for information and updates.

Eric Zamft

Eric Zampt is the planning director for Cleveland Heights. He moved to the Millikin neighborhood with his wife, Elysha, and children in January 2021.

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Volume 14, Issue 12, Posted 4:07 PM, 12.01.2021