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Quonset hut at plaza raises question of precedent
(by Sue Reid - April 21, 2010)
Quonset hut at plaza raises question of precedent
By SUE REID
A site plan and various variances associated with a seasonal Quonset-hut style greenhouse to be located at the Shoppes at Solon North were approved last week by the Solon planning commission.
But Mayor Susan A. Drucker, a member of the commission, said she does not want to set a precedent that something can just pop up on every corner. "Are we opening ourselves to these types of temporary uses?" she asked. She said the approval raises the concern that someone can just open up a tent-like structure on any corner. "That's my fear," she said. "I care how it is going to look on a prominent corner."
The structure will be located on the westernmost building pad of the shopping center at the corner of Brainard and Miles roads.
Randy Kertesz, a principal with Brainard Miles Development LLC, the developer of Shoppes at Solon North, assured Mrs. Drucker and commission members the that the 30-by-50-foot structure will not look bad. The building will consist of a galvanized steel frame covered with white and translucent vinyl fabric. Both the east and west sides of the structure would be paralleled by a row of split-rail fence.
"We've invested a lot of money in this plaza," Mr. Kertesz said. "We do things first class."
Mrs. Drucker said the plaza looks great, but she is nervous about a "quick structure" going up. "Are we setting a precedent for temporary structures at other locations?" she asked.
Shana Samson, of Solon Law Director David J. Matty's office, said the city has a good ordinance in place with regard to canvassing and pedaling. "The city certainly has a good way to police this," she said.
Solon Planning Director Robert S. Frankland said that, with such structures, variances are needed for materials and colors, which is why the developer must go before the planning commission. In addition, there's probably nowhere else in the city where one could put up this type of structure, he said, except on Mr. Kertesz's site, because there is a building pad there.
"He laid out all the building pads for the various structures, but this is an unoccupied pad which is laid out for a building right now with parking in place," Mr. Frankland said. "This building would be substantially smaller then the building that he would ultimately construct on the site," he said.
Mr. Frankland said this type of structure could not be put in the middle of a plaza because it would eliminate part of the required parking for the plaza. "Anybody other then in Mr. Kertesz' situation would need a parking variance, which is a more of a significant variance then what Mr. Kertesz asked for," Mr. Frankland said.
The purpose of the hut, Mr. Kertesz said, would be to attract traffic to the shopping center, especially during a down economy. The structure is intended to accommodate the seasonal sale of plants and associated items, and is intended to be operated from May to mid-July. Mr. Kertesz said there will be no outside storage of bulk items, such as mulch.
John Urbanowicz, of Urban Growers, who would erect the temporary structure, said that he has a greenhouse operation in Burton.
"We are just looking to bring some of our products out this way," he said. Mr. Urbanowicz invited commission members to come and visit his business in Geauga County. He would sell items such as annuals and other materials relating to planting flowers.
Commission chair William M. Mazur asked if the hut will have electrical hookups to provide the ability to run a cash register.
Mr. Urbanowicz said the plan is for the cash register and credit-card machine to be wireless.
Mr. Kertesz said there will be a hose hookup to the building next door for watering the plants.
Mr. Mazur told Mr. Kertesz that this is a "unique approach" and hopefully will bring traffic to the shopping center.
"I'm trying to be as flexible as possible with businesses, because I understand the restrains of the economy," Mrs. Drucker said, "but at the same time we still need to protect the integrity of the community."
"We don't want anything aesthetically unpleasing and hope the economy turns around," Mr. Kertesz said.
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