Mayfield Village, Ohio

Mayor Bruce G. Rinker and the Village Council welcome you to Mayfield Village.

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Index

Summary

Chapter1

Chapter 2

Chapter3

Chapter 4

Chapter5

Appendices

Chapter 3 .. 2020 Vision Plan Recommendations

Overview

Mayfield Village has managed to preserve the mostly residential character of its community and the quality of life valued by its residents while still securing a commercial base to generate needed revenues and jobs for the community. Village residents enjoy the small town character of their community, yet benefit from the high quality of services and facilities provided by sister governments, namely the Mayfield School District, the Cuyahoga County Public Library, and the Cleveland Metroparks. The community is also uniquely characterized by a positive working relationship with Progressive Insurance, Inc., its primary corporate partner, generating considerable investment in the community and providing a model for creative public/private partnerships.

Challenges/Issues Facing the Community

The Committee identified the key challenges that need to be addressed by the Village if it is to achieve its vision for the future development of the character of the Village and selected work tasks to assist in the development of policies and strategies. These are summarized below.

Residential Character

The lack of diversity of the type of housing could be causing long-time Village residents to move out of the Village to other communities that offer smaller, lower-maintenance housing styles. Also, there was an interest in assuring the high quality of residential housing stock by looking at ways to strengthen housing inspection programs and assisting those in need with financial options to upgrade and maintain housing. The following tasks were completed:

ü Identify the type of housing needed to complement existing housing and identify locations for that new housing.

ü Evaluate zoning regulations that would allow alternative housing types to be built in the Village.

ü Recommend what housing types should be developed on the limited amount of vacant land remaining in the Village that is zoned for residential.

ü Consider ways to strengthen the Village’s housing inspection programs to encourage reinvestment in homes and preserve residential quality.

ü Look at ways to offer financial assistance to homeowners who need help with costs of upgrading their properties.

Office/Industrial/Retail Character

The industrial/warehouse area on Beta Drive is one of the Village’s industrial/warehouse areas and generates a significant source of commercial property and income taxes to the Village. However, with an estimated vacancy rate of 24 percent, the Village needs to focus on assuring the productive use of this commercial/industrial area to generate tax revenues for the community. Similarly, the Committee had a strong interest in identifying strategies for attracting private investment to other commercial/retail areas of the Village. To that end, the Committee looked at the following:

ü Consider expanding the zoning uses permitted on Beta Drive to assess the potential for attracting new tenants to complement the existing industrial uses.

ü Consider new design ideas for the Beta Drive industrial area, as many of the buildings are out-of-date; the appearance of the buildings could be limiting the marketability of the properties.

ü Look at the zoning governing office/commercial areas in other areas of the Village and consider changes where needed to increase the marketability of existing office/commercial space.

ü Assess the Village’s development review process and recommend changes as needed to facilitate private investment while preserving the public’s interest in the zoning process.

ü Recommend economic development strategies to assure that the Village’s limited financial resources are being used strategically.

ü Investigate ways of mitigating the traffic impacts of commercial and industrial development (both existing and future) to preserve the residential character of the Village.

Overall Quality and Village Character

Committee members were interested in recommending ways to upgrade the design quality of the Village’s built environment so as to provide Villagers with attractive and community-supportive settings for interacting with other residents while taking care of errands or activities. Some of the issues that the Committee identified to address included:

ü Look at ways to provide additional community plazas and recreational opportunities as gathering spots and to assure that existing greenery and landscaping is maintained.

ü Consider strategies to enhance the SOM Center/Wilson Mills intersection to serve as the Village’s “town center” and to provide safe and attractive pedestrian linkages between the retail areas, the public buildings, and the Village’s residential areas.

ü Recommend ways to further diversify the Village’s economy so as to reduce over-reliance on a few corporations and broaden the image of the Village.

Goals of the Plan

The Vision Committee adopted the following guidelines to provide a general framework from which the development policies and implementation strategies were developed.

ü Think big and stay small.

ü Preserve and enrich the Village’s residential quality with new housing options and design strategies.

ü Text Box: Create a pedestrian-friendly environment throughout the Village, particularly in the Village Center through new design and landscaping strategies and the adoption of the “Main Street” model for downtown Mayfield.

» Enhance pedestrian pathways and crossings throughout the Village to ensure safety and support a pedestrian-friendly environment.

» Provides streetscape enhancements, such as benches and lighting, to enhance safety and encourage the use of public spaces within the Village.

» Incorporate significant landscape features along SOM Center Road to calm traffic, protect intersections and serve as an effective “green screen” to the road widening project.

ü Expand and enhance high-quality, non-residential economic development opportunities in a manner that maintains the Village’s small-town character and diversifies its tax base.

» Provide supportive retail services that meet the needs of Village businesses and residents.

» Revitalize the existing commercial development to allow for better use of land, improved vehicular and pedestrian circulation patterns, and enhanced community image.

ü Create a cohesive Village Center that serves as a focal point for residents and meets the administrative needs of the Village:

» Provide a mix of public and private uses, while preserving the residential character of the surrounding areas.

» Expand or rebuild the Village government facilities and technological capacity to enhance efficiencies.

» Provide public gathering space and increase pedestrian connections.

» Create a unique, easily identifiable Village character and update the central area.

» Preserve the open space and natural areas of the Village and expand greenery where possible.

ü Expand recreational opportunities (active and passive) through public/private partnerships:

» Develop bike pathways and all-purpose trails that link the recreational opportunities of the Village to each other and to all neighborhoods, the Village Center, and community facilities.

» Continue to pursue joint use recreation facilities working with the Mayfield School District, adjacent communities, and non-profit organizations.

» New residential projects should be encouraged to incorporate recreational facilities.

» Expand the permitted uses in the Beta Drive area to include private recreation facilities and actively market available sites.

» Modify the design or use of existing recreational facilities to complement new facilities.

Development Policies and Strategies

This section articulates the policy directions supported by the 2020 Vision Plan Committee and identifies specific strategies that should be pursued by Village leaders to achieve the plan’s goals. The Vision Committee encourages creative thinking about future development possibilities for the community, yet understands the value of preserving and integrating buildings and features that reflect the community’s historic or cultural character. While new types of development are the focus of the plan report, there is strong support for retaining and reusing existing facilities where they support the overall goals of making the Village more walkable and attractive.

Many of the strategies that are suggested in this section rely on adding new zoning regulations or modifying existing Village zoning. While zoning is a key tool for achieving many of the land use policies, it is not, by itself, sufficient to accomplish all of the goals of the Vision Plan. New financial tools, public/private partnerships, and a commitment by elected/appointed officials and the citizens to adopt and implement the plan are key to achieving the vision and strategies summarized here. See Chapter 5: Implementation Strategies for a further discussion of ideas for “making the plan happen.”

RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

Most of the Village was developed during the 1950’s and 60’s as the outward movement of urban residents to more rural areas in the Cleveland region created a demand for new housing in many outlying communities. But unlike other nearby communities that continued to grow in population during the 1980s and 1990s, the Village’s population has remained stable at around 3,500 residents for the past few decades as remaining available land was either developed for public or commercial uses. With considerable public parkland and with most of its vacant land already in development, the Village will not likely experience population growth unless land that is currently in commercial use is rezoned to residential use. The challenge to a built-out community like Mayfield Village is how to keep residents in the community by providing housing options to accommodate changes in housing demand over time.

The Committee supports an overall residential strategy that would keep the community’s population at less than 5,000 persons, the threshold for maintaining the “Village” designation. Within that general guideline, a key residential development strategy is to provide alternative housing options for residents as they seek opportunities to downsize and reduce housing maintenance responsibilities. Village leaders should continue to pursue the development of attached townhouse and detached cluster housing for the Village. Targeted properties for this type of development would include any vacant land left for residential development and certain residential parcels that could be consolidated for

redevelopment as townhouse/cluster housing—particularly those located on major roads or areas adjacent to the Village Center. Map 1 outlines the recommended policies relating to the Village’s residential uses.

A. Produce and distribute public educational materials to inform residents about the need to provide for different types of housing as a way of retaining long-term Village residents and describing the alternative housing options and their potential impacts.

B. Create townhouse and cluster housing options within the Village through the Planned Residential Development (PRD) regulations that have been adopted by Council and by expanding the Local Business District zoning provisions to permit townhouse and cluster housing where appropriate; consider creating a Mixed-Use District for the Village center.

C. Use criteria to identify locations for future cluster, attached housing and townhouse developments that would give priority to: locations along the Village’s main roads, areas that support commercial/retail facilities, and those that serve to buffer adjacent single-family residential areas from commercial uses.

D. Maintain the apartment-style housing and U-3 District Apartment House zoning at its current location and level.

E. Preserve a residential or open character along the west side of SOM Center Road from Thornapple and the northern Village boundary, along the east side of SOM Center Road between Sandalwood and the northern Village boundary, and on the east side of SOM Center Rd. south of the commercial areas to the Village’s southern border.

F. Preserve a residential or open character along Wilson Mills Road generally in the areas listed below:

1. Between Lander Road and Progressive Drive (south side).

2. Between I-271 and the Mayfield Union Cemetery (south side).

3. East of the Village Center (both north and south sides).

G. Maintain the residential zoning for all other areas in the Village that are currently zoned for residential (i.e., those residential areas that are not referenced in Policies E and F above).

H. Strengthen residential inspection programs and provide incentives to assure consistent upkeep of all residential and commercial properties in the Village by:

1. Adding part-time staff to fulfill the Building Department’s authorization to conduct periodic exterior inspections of both residential and commercial properties for purposes of assuring property maintenance.

2. Providing linkage to County and other public loan or grant programs that help low-to moderate income homeowners fund needed improvements.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

While the presence of Progressive Insurance provides tremendous financial benefits to the Village, concern about over-reliance on this one taxpayer prompted the Committee to call for a more aggressive economic development strategy that would build on current economic assets. With an estimated 1.5 million square feet of industrial/warehouse space in the Beta industrial area and an estimated 258,000 of retail square footage located throughout the community, the Village has an economic base that must be preserved and enhanced.

Business owners have a choice of where to locate their businesses, and, similarly, residents will shop and seek services in other communities if they are not available locally. The Committee members expressed support for upgrading the Village’s economic centers to be more competitive in the regional market place and to be more responsive to residents’ needs for retail goods and services. The following recommendations support those goals and are summarized in Map 2.

A. Establish a Community Development staff position and adopt a marketing strategy to attract the type and quality of private investment/development desired by the Village so as to make the Village’s economic centers more viable.

B. Work with neighboring communities to assure the thoughtful integration of development projects at the Village’s borders to support the development goals of both communities.

C. Facilitate the repositioning and/or redevelopment of the Beta Drive industrial area by adopting a more aggressive marketing strategy and by reworking existing zoning to position this area so as to be more competitive in the commercial market. Specific zoning recommendations to consider include:

1. Combining the Production-Distribution and Office-Laboratory districts into one new zoning district.

2. Broadening the range of permitted uses in the new district to allow uses such as day care, medical offices, hotels, restaurants, and indoor recreation facilities that would support or complement the predominant industrial/office use of the area.

3. Increasing the maximum allowable lot coverage and heights for permitted buildings and reducing the required minimum parking requirements (by encouraging shared parking and other creative parking approaches where appropriate).

4. Working with the Village’s businesses to research traffic patterns and to adopt strategies for improving vehicular access and traffic circulation in and around the industrial area and adjacent areas.

D. Work with existing Village Center property owners/tenants to amend zoning and adopt development and design guidelines that would help the Village to achieve the type and quality of development desired for its Center. Recommended changes to the zoning code to consider include:

1. Redesignation of the existing Local Business District (LBD) in the Village Center as a “Mixed-Use District” or expanding the permitted uses in the LBD to attract more varied tenants.

2. Expansion of the permitted uses in the new “Mixed-Use District” that would allow new townhouse/cluster housing adjacent to the retail area (to serve as a buffer to larger, lot single-family residential areas) and permit a broader, more contemporary mix of retail/office uses that would meet the needs of local residents.

3. Reduction of the building setback requirements in the new “Mixed-Use District” and an increase in the permitted building heights to encourage office and retail investments that would have the look and feel of a traditional Village “Main Street.”

4. Increasing maximum allowable lot coverages and heights for permitted buildings and encouraging shared parking and other creative parking approaches where appropriate.

E. Consider expanding the Village Center concept with cluster residential or government uses on: (see Map #3, page 34 for illustration of these policies)

1. The west side of SOM Center Road from the Fire Station north to Thornapple Road; and

2. Wilson Mills Road from SOM Center Road to the Mayfield Union Cemetery.

In determining whether or not alternative uses are appropriate in these locations, the Village should consider the following criteria:

ü Does the property continue to be suitable for single-family residential?

ü Will the alternative development support the Village’s objectives for the Village Center concept and additional economic development?

F. Streamline the process for securing development approvals that would facilitate development efforts in the Village. Specific strategies to consider include:

1. Establishing a single set of development review procedures in the Village’s zoning regulations that would govern all major development projects.

2. Clarifying existing regulations relating to the variance request/approval process that would help home and business owners to pursue relief from the zoning and building regulations where appropriate.

3. Providing educational materials and conducting outreach to assure that residents and businesses are aware of the zoning and building regulations and the procedures for securing relief and/or approvals.

4. Working with home and business owners to preserve the architecture and functionality of the older buildings in the Village by providing access to federal, state, and local program and funding information that is available for supporting historic and older properties.

VILLAGE CHARACTER

Like many communities in the Cleveland metropolitan area, the character of most of the Village’s development of the past forty years has been auto-oriented and anti-pedestrian. Buildings are spread out and set back from the main streets. Retail and governmental uses are surrounded by acres of pavement designed to accommodate the cars that have been our primary means of getting around. Residents must get in their cars and drive across the street to take care of errands because intersections are designed for cars, not people, and do not provide for safe pedestrian crossing.

Yet, in many communities, residents are looking to reverse this trend of suburbanization and to “bring back” the feeling of community and the look of the more traditional Village or “Main Street” that existed before the dominance of the automobile. The 2020 Vision Committee recommends a substantial makeover for the Mayfield Village center that would: create a more traditional mixed-use town center; encourage walking as a means of getting around the core area; and provide places for residents and visitors to gather.

The specific recommendations for enhancing the Village’s character include:

A. Consider developing an identifiable Village Center with retail, office and residential uses at the SOM Center and Wilson Mills crossroads. This Village Center would serve as the “heart” of the community and provide character or personality for the community. In essence, the goal is to provide a “sense of place” that residents and visitors alike would easily identify as the community’s center (see Map 3 for policies relating to the Village Center).

2. Bring buildings closer to the street by reducing building setbacks in the Local Business District and encouraging parking to be located to the side or rear of buildings.

3. Bury utility lines, concentrating first on the Village Center, to improve the appearance of the Village and accentuate the quality of other streetscape improvements.

4. Develop and implement a coordinated streetscape program for the Village Center.

5. Work with the U.S. Postal Service to provide a postal service facility in the Village Center.

B. Create a unique, easily identifiable character for the Village.

1. Develop and implement a coordinated streetscape program throughout the Village.

2. Implement traffic calming measures to increase pedestrian safety and comfort.

3. Build upon a Village logo to create a consistent image, identity, and design throughout the Village.

C. Create a system of pedestrian paths and connected open space throughout the community, linking the locations in which people live, work, and visit.

1. Designate a new Park/Open Space District to preserve existing park and open space areas.

2. Implement recommendations of the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Greenspace Plan for Mayfield Village where feasible:

a. further extending the SOM Center Rd. trail to the Mayfield Heights border where it would connect with a future Ridgebury Ave. trail; and

b. considering a future trail route for I-271 corridor that could link Ridgebury Ave. in Mayfield Heights with White Rd. on the Village’s northern border (see www.planning.co.cuyahoga.oh.us).

3. Provide for sidewalks or quality pedestrian paths to connect every neighborhood to the Village Center; consider a major connector for the Worton Park area to the Village Center.

D. Maintain and improve the quality and character of the older areas of the Village, both in non-residential and residential areas.

1. Increase landscaping requirements where necessary to ensure adequate buffering between residential and commercial areas and to “soften” areas where there are large expanses of hard surface.

2. Develop and distribute a “Citizen’s Guide to Zoning and Building” brochure to promote residents understanding about current or new requirements for design, parking, landscaping, and other building requirements.

See Map #4 for a summary of the policies relating to enhancing the Village character.

VILLAGE AMENITIES

The SOM Center Road improvement project provides momentum for thinking about ways to expand the pedestrian orientation of the Village while improving connectivity and providing enhanced recreational opportunities for residents. By working to attract private investment to the community and linking that future private development to a priority list of desired public improvements, the Village can assure that redevelopment will only proceed if it includes the public amenities that are desired by the community. However, more active use of the Village’s industrial and retail areas could generate additional traffic congestion if not properly addressed.

A. Preserve remaining natural areas in the Village and improve linkages with regional and adjacent community open space and recreational areas by:

1. Producing a Park/Open Space plan that articulates the Village’s commitment to specific pedestrian/bike trail locations, future parks/nature areas, and other recreation amenities as supported by the community and outlines strategies for achieving those objectives.

2. Working with a land trust organization to accept the donation of land and/or development rights from private property owners.

B. Expand recreational opportunities available to residents of the Village by periodically surveying residents to determine recreation facility/program needs and creating partnerships with adjacent communities, businesses, and the Mayfield School District to offer joint recreational programs and facilities. The current project to revamp the Center Elementary School playground as a shared park for joint community and school use provides a model for future partnering opportunities.

C. Work to contain the growing volume of traffic that could occur on local Village streets by:

1. Pursuing the redevelopment of the Village Center as a more pedestrian-oriented retail/residential center connected to the neighborhoods by walking trails.

2. Collaborating with the Greater Cleveland RTA, adjacent communities, and private employers to expand public transit services in the area by, for example, implementing a small-vehicle circulator service to connect retail and employment centers in the area.

3. Working with adjacent communities and regional planning agencies to consider joint strategies that manage travel demand and reduce congestion during rush hours (e.g. promoting flex-time and related strategies) and to provide needed shuttle services for seniors and others that are without private autos.

4. Partnering with the Ohio Department of Transportation, regional planning agencies, the Mayfield School District, and Worton Park residents to implement pedestrian improvements and safety strategies that would enhance the connection between Worton Park, the Village Center, and the Village’s schools (“safe routes to schools” methods and techniques can be found at www.saferoutestoschools.org).

5. Working with the Ohio Department of Transportation and adjacent communities to further analyze the feasibility of an additional I-271 interchange at White Rd.

D. Communicate the benefits of living in Mayfield Village and the amenities available to Village residents through electronic and print media:

1. Utilize the Village’s cable television access, the Village newsletter, homeowner association publications, new resident packages, open houses and other marketing materials to inform residents of Village services, programs, and events.

2. Maintain the Village website to be informative and interactive, functioning as the 24-hour “electronic village center,” and polling residents for input on amenities and service issues as needed.