P&Z: July 6th 2021
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
Mayfield Village
Tuesday, July 6, 2021 – 6:00 p.m.
The Planning and Zoning Commission met in regular session on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. in Mayfield Village Civic Hall at the Mayfield Village Civic Center. Chairman Syracuse presided.
Roll Call
Present: Mr. Vetus Syracuse (Chairman), Dr. Sue McGrath (Chairman Pro Tem), Mr. Allen Meyers (Council Rep), Mr. Paul Fikaris, Mr. Jim Kless, and Mr. Henry DeBaggis
Also Present: Mr. Anthony Coyne (Law Director), Mr. John Marquart (Economic Dev. Manager), Mr. Daniel Russell (Building Commissioner), and Mrs. Mary Betsa (On behalf of Commission Secretary)
Absent: Mayor Bodnar
CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES AS CORRECTED: May 3, 2021
Mr. Kless, seconded by Mr. Fikaris made a motion to approve the minutes of May 3, 2021 as corrected.
ROLL CALL
Ayes: Mr. Syracuse, Dr. McGrath, Mr. Meyers, Mr. Fikaris, Mr. Kless, and Mr. DeBaggis
Nays: None
Motion Carried. Minutes Approved as Corrected.
PROPOSAL:
- Conditional Use Permit
Arts & Event Center
Joanna Zona
700 Beta Dr. Suite #500
FourPenn Beta, LLC
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Conditional Use Permit
Arts & Event Center
700 Beta Dr. Suite #500
FourPenn Beta, LLC
Chairman Syracuse stated, the only proposal before us tonight is a Conditional Use Permit for the Arts & Event Center. Applicant is Joanna Zona for 700 Beta Dr., Suite #500, FourPenn Beta, LLC. We discussed this at length at our workshop meeting from June 17th. Applicant has supplied some additional information regarding some of the questions we had with parking. Hopefully everyone has had an opportunity to review those. It looks like we have the width of the hallway measured at 13’ 3” and the business hours plans it seems that they want to be open 7 days a week from Noon until Midnight, otherwise by appointment only. Ms. Zona, do you have anything else you would like to add?
Ms. Zona replied, I don’t think so. Not at this time.
Chairman Syracuse stated, okay. Does anyone have any questions for Ms. Zona?
Mr. Fikaris stated, I do. I was looking over a lot of material on the parking. Are we squared away with that it’s going to work? It seems to have worked in the past. You propose 7 days a week from 12:00-12:00.
Ms. Zona replied, that’s operating hours during the day and then the performance hours later in the evening from 6:00 on. I spoke with the landlord again and he felt there would be no problem.
Chairman Syracuse asked, what is the maximum capacity going to be?
Ms. Zona replied, 65 is what my Architect said.
Mr. Kless stated, for a performing arts venue, you have to have those evening hours.
Ms. Zona stated, and I think midnight would be the latest.
Mr. Fikaris stated, my concern was with the legal issue because it’s a unique situation with a shared lot. If everything’s okay from a legal standpoint, I just wanted to make sure.
Mr. Coyne stated, the fact of the matter is is that this is not a use that’s expressly permitted. It’s here because it’s a conditionally permitted use. It’s still a little vague as to your operations. With your question about parking, if you don’t really know the numbers, it appears you are driving your program mostly toward the evening hours so there would be more parking available, but if you are saying 12:00-12:00, 7 days a week, that would certainly suggest you would need parking during the day as well. There are some pretty big users as you know in John Marquart’s write-up adjacent to the property. That’s what you have to flush out a little bit as to exactly what kind of operations you are going to be having here.
Chairman Syracuse stated, Ms. Zona, the factors as far as our guidelines that we have to consider in whether or not to grant a temporary conditional use permit, so that members are aware, this is zoned for Production/Distribution so if we are going to grant it, it’s based on these 10 factors and whether or not she has provided enough evidence to make sure that we are certain that it fits within the community and it’s something worth giving a conditional use permit for. The one that I think Mr. Fikaris has alluded to and we discussed at the last meeting and due to Mr. Marquart’s comments as well from his Memorandum is #3 which is whether or not this will not conversely, substantially or permanently injure the appropriate use of neighbors’ property considering such factors as: traffic (volumes, patterns, access management), noise, dust, odor, visual impacts, deliveries and hours of operation. To me, it seems like it’s unknown how this would work out. Your permit, if it were to be granted, would be for two years. If there were some issues, it would get flushed out through our Building Department. That’s something that could be considered. The other ones that I still think, and perhaps Ms. Zona may you could speak more to, are number 6, whether or not it is economically feasible based on documentation submitted by the applicant that there is sufficient market demand within the Village and/or the surrounding areas to support the use. I think it was somewhat mentioned that we don’t really know because of COVID that there may be a demand for this type of center to go in, but whether or not there’s sufficient market demand. We do have a lot of public forums for this type of stuff. There’s the Grove, there’s room in here, there’s the Community Room. As far as conference centers and performing arts, we do have a lot of venues for that. Maybe you can answer how it’s economically feasible that there’s sufficient market demand within the Village to support this use.
Ms. Zona replied, part of the problem with using space such as this or at the Conference Center, is the need for rehearsals as well. That’s where a big amount of the time commitment will come from. It’s not economically feasible to rent space somewhere else for the 6-8 weeks of rehearsal.
Chairman Syracuse stated, that’s economically feasible to you, but as far as the sufficient market demand within the Village, to have this go into this location.
Ms. Zona replied, right. This is a performing arts center. That attracts people. We have done a couple of smaller performances at Lake Erie College. I think that the marketing will bring people to the area. We have actors from Akron to Mentor to the West side. I think it is feasible because I know that I can market the performances. As far as the events go, those are just things that will go along with performances such as a fundraiser to help the performances.
Chairman Syracuse stated, I think that somewhat answers the other factor that I would say we need to consider which would be #8, will provide benefits to the community, i.e., medical, educational, technical, retail because, at least to some degree, the proposed use is currently not available in the Village or that the community is underserved by the type/use being proposed. Other than Village events going on, I am not sure there are other facilities in this area that have this kind of performing arts in Mayfield Village. The last factor, number 10, I had some concern with which was whether or not this has the potential to create a positive economic impact by creating or expanding employment opportunities and increasing tax revenue within the Village. For this size of space, there really aren’t going to be any employees. Perhaps you can maybe speak to how you feel this could create a positive economic impact for Mayfield Village.
Ms. Zona replied, I think by bringing more different people into the area and utilizing the restaurants in the area. The one event I am holding now through the end of the month at the Conference Center is an arts event. I am going to the community and inviting them to participate in that at no charge. I want to build community. And I would love to have employees. I just need to be able to afford them. That will come hopefully in the next 6 months. I want to participate in the community.
Chairman Syracuse asked, any other questions?
Mr. Fikaris stated, I had asked the Economic Development Manager John Marquart for some figures that I could use to comprehend what would be a dollar figure per square foot of what the Village usually gets in a commercial space. Not what the Village gets in tax revenue. Some of the examples are anywhere from $1.00 to $6.00 a square foot. That was under certain circumstances. I know personally my office is about $11.00 a square foot, so as it relates to #10, that’s the economic potential for the economic impact for Mayfield Village. We would like to see full commercial spaces with lots of high paying jobs. That’s what we work towards to get a happy medium in our economy. In the past we have learned that it’s not just occupying space. That’s not always the best thing. Obviously, I think this proposal would be a bonus to the community but economic-wise, it’s not. You said it may take time. We just need to keep that in perspective.
Ms. Zona stated, I think to speak to that, the space has been empty for quite a while. It needs restrooms put in. I am willing to do that.
Chairman Syracuse stated, those are the factors that I saw that need to be addressed. I think she has answered to the best of her ability tonight. If anyone has any other questions, ask them now, otherwise, I would entertain a motion.
Mr. Fikaris stated, the reason why I brought up the parking is that there is an evening factor because of the hotel. This is something to consider. It’s not just going to be a dead parking lot at 5:00. That’s what I meant by the arrangement with the hotel. I don’t think it’s a concern with numbers. The hotel will have occupied spaces during those hours.
Ms. Zona stated, when I spoke with the landlord, he said that with that Agreement, there are some spaces that are for that building only. There is the overflow parking lot with 85 spaces adjacent to that.
Mr. Coyne stated, there’s over 500 parking spaces, so unless they were all simultaneously having events, there’s sufficient parking. The one thing I would suggest to the Chair is for the record I still think, looking through the materials, I don’t know if the business has been explained for the record very well. Performing arts can cover visual arts. It can cover music. It can cover acting. I just think for the record before you take action you should clarify exactly what you mean by performing arts.
Chairman Syracuse asked, Ms. Zona, do you want to address that for us?
Ms. Zona replied, yes. My son is a theater major at Lake Erie College. He is in drama and performing arts. It’s not necessarily dancing and that type of thing. It’s acting and drama and music. That’s the main focus. With the events, if we wanted to do some type of fundraising that would help support that or if the community needs that space, I would be happy to provide that.
Mr. Coyne asked, the participants are volunteers? They are not employees?
Ms. Zona replied, no, they are not employees.
Mr. Fikaris asked, how many performances a month?
Ms. Zona replied, there’s about 6-8 weeks of rehearsal before we do a show. So, if you divide that into a year, we are not going to be on that exact path. There might be 16 weeks in between a show. 10-15 at the most per year.
Mr. Fikaris asked, that would be the performances? The other events would be as they come?
Ms. Zona replied, right. If I did a fundraising event or somebody in my family needs the space for a baby shower. It’s not my main focus to rent space.
Mr. DeBaggis asked, would the performers share in the ticket sales?
Ms. Zona replied, it will be a pay as you will concept. We will have a lot of sponsors that we will have in our programs. Whatever the ticket sales are, half of that remains to pay our bills and the other half to the actors and musicians.
Chairman Syracuse asked, are they working on a performance right now?
Ms. Zona replied, yes.
Chairman Syracuse asked, what is it?
Ms. Zona replied, it is called The Last Five Years. It’s going to be at the Hilton Conference Center the last week in July and first week in August.
Chairman Syracuse asked, any other questions or comments?
There were none.
DECISION:
Mr. Kless, seconded by Mr. Meyers, made a motion to approve the Conditional Use Permit for the Arts & Event Center on a 2-year basis with a 2-year renewal, the hours being 7 days a week from 12:00 p.m. until 12:00 p.m. with a maximum capacity of 65 people.
ROLL CALL
Ayes: Mr. Syracuse, Dr. McGrath, Mr. Meyers, Mr. Fikaris, Mr. Kless, Mr. DeBaggis
Nays: None
Motion Carried. Recommendation to Council.
ADJOURNMENT:
Dr. McGrath, seconded by Mr. Meyers made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
ROLL CALL
Ayes: All
Nays: None
Motion Carried. Meeting adjourned at 6:18 p.m.