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Dry cleaner presses on with building retrofit
(by Sue Reid - December 02, 2009)
Dry cleaner presses on with building retrofit
By SUE REID
Solon's planning commission approved various variances and a site plan last week for a building on SOM Center Road (Route 91) to be the first part of the Solar Shopping Center redevelopment project.
The building will house the D.O. Summers dry cleaner, which has leased a building in the Solon Square Shopping Center on Aurora Road for the past 45 years.
The city previously approved a proposal by D.O. Summers to demolish an existing commercial building on SOM Center Road and replace it with a new one. However, due to changes in the economy, Brett Goldberg, owner of D.O. Summers, proposed a retrofit of the building, rather than the replacement.
That would be more difficult to do, Solon Planning Director Robert S. Frankland said. "A retrofit building presents significantly greater challenges and substantially reduced design options then does a new development project," he said. "This is primarily due to limitations imposed by basic existing structural design, the functionality of internal spaces and the costs associated with replacing existing materials."
Because the building, which has been unoccupied for a couple of years, is adjacent to the Solar Shopping Center redevelopment project, Mr. Frankland said, particular attention was paid to the design.
Marc H. Cohen, president of North Coast Architects Inc., has been working with the city, on behalf of Mr. Goldberg, to come up with a "Western Reserve" look for the building.
"We spent considerable time working with the city on designing elevations, because we tried to tie in with the design of the Solar center and maintain a Western reserve style," Mr. Cohen said. "We removed elements of contemporary design."
Mr. Cohen presented the planning commission with the site plan, which includes the renovation of the existing two-story building and a drive-through canopy and drop-off area to be added along the north side.
The brick on the building, which is an orange-yellow shade, will be stained to give it a reddish brown appearance, Mr. Cohen said. All of the windows of the building will be trimmed out, and the entrance canopy will have a new brick trim. There will be burgundy awnings. Also as part of the renovation, he said, there will three landscaped islands.
Commission member George K. Hrabak said the applicant did an excellent job in planning the retrofit.
"It will be a big improvement in the center of town," said Mayor Kevin C. Patton, a member of the planning commission.
Commission member William M. Mazur said he has some concerns over the egress to the Solar Center shopping area, which may have a conflict with the outbuilding of the Huntington Bank there.
The primary access point to the property would directly connect to SOM Center Road. That option was reviewed and approved by City Council's safety and public properties committee.
However, Mr. Frankland said, the pending redevelopment of the Solar Center site will present the opportunity to eliminate the SOM Center Road access point and provide primary access through the shopping plaza.
The committee placed a contingency on its approval of the site plan that the ingress and egress of the new facility must be reviewed by the city's traffic engineer. Another contingency is that the second story of the building be used only for D.O. Summers.
Commission member Roger C. Newberry congratulated the applicant on his work to renovate the building. "It's not quite a silk purse, but pretty close," he said. The building has been a problem in terms of its appearance in the city's central area for some time, he said, and he's happy that D.O. Summers will occupy it.
The intent is for D.O. Summers to occupy the building late next spring, Mr. Cohen said. "They hope to begin work immediately after receiving approval on the construction drawings from the Solon building department," he said.
The applicant is to appear before City Council on Dec. 7.
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