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Glenwillow developer to screen Solon neighbors
(by Sue Reid - April 14, 2010)
Glenwillow developer to screen Solon neighbors
By SUE REID
Without having control over a project that began recently in the Village of Glenwilliow and abuts property in Solon's Wards 1 and 2, city officials have achieved some protection of residents with screening of the commercial and industrial development.
Ward 2 Councilman Robert N. Pelunis, who began dialogue with Glenwillow about four years ago, said Geis Cos. has "really attempted to work with us very well and to be good neighbors" on the 200-acre Diamond Business Center on the south side of Pettibone Road.
The project abuts homes on Pettibone Road and in the Oakview Estates subdivision, which is in Wards 1 and 2. A 500,000-square-foot-plus building for a beverage distributor is scheduled to be completed this November. The first building in the project is 400,000 square feet.
A meeting was held earlier this month with Solon Mayor Susan A. Drucker, Mr. Pelunis, Ward 1 Councilman Richard A. Bell, residents and representatives from the developer at Solon City Hall.
Mrs. Drucker said that, at the onset of the project, the mayor of Glenwillow, representatives from Geis and the city met to discuss the project's impact on the residential properties located immediately east and north of the project area. At that time, she said, Geis representatives assured all parties they would comply with all setback and zoning regulations required by Glenwillow.
Additionally, Geis committed to the installation of mounding for the purpose of screening the development and Solon committed to providing the trees to be planted on this mound, she said.
"It's nice that we have been able to accomplish this without having control over the project," Mr. Pelunis said. "It's been a long process."
Mr. Pelunis said the city is only going to be installing trees in the section that goes north and south behind Oakview Estates, and Geis will install trees on the east and west portion on Pettibone.
"What the goal of the city was from the beginning was to make sure that, because you have a potential commercial and industrial development abutting residential, that property values would not be deteriorated, noise would not increase and there would not be lights that would be disruptive to residents," Mr. Pelunis said.
He said the developer made concessions during the discussions. That included loading docks being phased out of the residential area, zero spillover of lights as well as control of lights so they would be turned off at night allowing only a minimum amount just for security. The biggest concession was the mounding placed on areas abutting residential in the city, Mr. Pelunis said.
Glenwillow Mayor Mark A. Cegelka said the village has had many meetings with Geis representatives regarding landscaping along the border line and expressed the need to work with the mayor of Solon and council as well as the local homeowners association to keep them informed as to the progress of the landscaping alongside the development and the mounding to be installed.
"The village has always had a good working relationship with the city and the Solon schools and will continue to communicate on a regular basis on all the issues that affect us," Mr. Cegelka said.
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