May 3: Cleveland City Planning Commission
Covered by Documenters Laurie Redmon (notes), Sarah Kinley (notes) and Robyn Heard (live-tweets)
Make way for marijuana
As Cleveland adjusts to statewide legalization of adult recreational weed use, city officials are wrestling with the limitations of Cleveland’s current zoning laws.
The Cleveland Planning Commission signed off on changes to zoning laws to expand opportunities to open dispensaries in Cleveland. The city’s current zoning laws do not allow dispensaries to open in just any retail district, and a zoning staff presentation said that limits dispensaries “to the fringes of the city” in mostly industrial areas.
Cleveland’s zoning laws are also stricter than state law regarding recreational weed use, according to Shannan Leonard, a city planner. Without changes, more flexible zoning laws in surrounding suburbs such as Lakewood could cost Cleveland tax revenue, said Leonard.
The proposed changes hinge on Cleveland City Council’s final approval. The legislation was introduced during council’s May 6 meeting.
What about more Cleveland housing?
The commission signed off on two proposals to sell city-owned properties to create more housing for Cleveland residents.
City Council approved one of them at its May 6 meeting. It allows the city to sell two properties – 1848 E. 101st St. and 9910 Woodward Ave. – to Gordon Crossing Land Co. The developer plans to build 54 mixed-income housing units. The construction is expected to start in July 2024 and finish at the end of 2025, according to the presentation.
The other proposal would let the city sell land at the southeast corner of Grovewood Avenue and East 164th Street to Habitat for Humanity to build 10 single-family homes.
Dusting off
At the end of the meeting, City Planning Director Joyce Pan Huang shouted-out Michael Bosak, a staff member, for leading efforts to sort through City Hall’s 6th floor “attic.” The space is home to planning records spanning 60 years, according to Huang. The city plans to coordinate with the Cleveland Public Library to archive some records.
Read more from Documenter Laurie Redmon:
Read more from Documenter Sarah Kinley:
Read the live-tweet thread from Documenter Robyn Heard:
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