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Report says area around state Route 8 has room for economic development
By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, May 29, 2008
MACEDONIA: Potential — as in development — was the operative word for Mayor Don Kuchta Wednesday.
On the same afternoon that saw the groundbreaking for a $19.2 million bridge and road-widening project on state Route 82, a study was unveiled at Macedonia City Hall looking at development of more than 900 acres of land along the state Route 8 corridor in Macedonia, Northfield Center Township and Boston Heights Village.
''I don't think anybody's ever looked at potential before,'' Kuchta said of the corridor of undeveloped land. ''The key word here is 'potential.' We have a bunch of property that has potential.''
The $40,000 study was done by Silverlode Consulting Corp. and EnviroScience Inc. Gregory Myers, a partner with the Cleveland-based Silverlode, said the study was aimed at evaluating the economic, fiscal and environmental impacts from development in the corridor.
The report found that with conditional zoning there is potential for about 4,900 jobs in the corridor, though under current zoning the potential is for about 2,556 jobs.
Summit County Executive Russ Pry said the study was initiated by the Macedonia mayor following the demise of a proposal to build a soccer stadium in part of that area.
''This represents a collaborative effort for the communities in northern Summit County to take a look at some regional planning with some very tough open areas that we still have that are yet to be developed,'' Pry said. ''We have a piece of property that has some significant environmental concerns'' with respect to wetlands, the Brandywine watershed and other issues.
Of the 918 acres in the study area — 270 acres in Macedonia, 337 acres in Northfield Center Township and 311 acres in Boston Heights — the report identified 632 acres that are zoned for light-industrial, multi-family residential, retail, residential and commercial-office use.
But of that number, only 267 acres could potentially be developed because of riparian setback issues, the report said.
Along with the wetlands issue, parts of the corridor are also designated flood plains.
''There is potential for development of this area,'' Myers said, but there is also a recognition that there are ''significant hurdles to development of this area'' because of environmental concerns.
One potential opportunity presented by development of the corridor, he said, is the ''restoration of Brandywine Creek and recreational access'' to the stream.
What is driving the interest in the corridor, he said, is the proximity to major highways like the Ohio Turnpike, Interstate 271 and Route 8.
Kuchta said ''potential'' is the key word being looked at in the report.
''The potential to have business,'' he said. ''The potential to work with the environment instead of against it. The potential for our schools and our communities to make more money. Potential is a good word.''
Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.
MACEDONIA: Potential — as in development — was the operative word for Mayor Don Kuchta Wednesday.
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