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Final parts of master plan to be unveiled
(by Sue Reid - May 12, 2010)
Final parts of master plan to be unveiled
By SUE REID
The City of Solon plans to release the final two installments of its master plan this month, Planning Director Robert S. Frankland said last week. They include the industrial core plan and the physical inventory plan.
The master plan, which began last year is the first to be prepared in-house, as well as the first one in the last 35 years. It also includes the economic development and central retail plan.
Mr. Frankland said the city has been using its central retail district plan. Such projects as the veterans memorial park and the Solar Center shopping center redevelopment are following the plan, he said.
"Solon is a community that understands the importance of a master plan," Mr. Frankland said.
It helps to have the plan prepared in-house and to have the input of City Council, planning commission and residents, he said. "Their input makes for a more relevant plan, and therefore the city is more likely to use it."
He said that, with the master plan, the goal is to address the different planning sectors of the city.
"The different segments provide recommendations for the various areas of the city and address what types of projects and what types of zoning the city should consider in the area," Mr. Frankland said. It also will focus on the problems in those areas the city will face in the next 10 to 15 years, which is the span of the master plan, he said.
The industrial core plan addresses the challenges that that particular area is likely to face from the present to a span of about 15 years, Mr. Frankland said. The plan looks at where the city needs to make infrastructure improvements as well as the zoning layout and recommendation of where zone changes should occur in the area. This part of the plan also looks at aesthetic issues and basically anything dealing with the physical environment of the industrial area, he said.
Mr. Frankland said that, because the industrial core is the primary means of support financially for the city, that installment is "extremely important."
"The buildings are 40 to 50 years old," Mr. Frankland said. "They have challenges, and we have to address how this district will adapt in the future."
The physical inventory installment, which is a standard par of the master plan basically examines demographics for the city as a whole compared to those demographics of other communities in the area, Mr. Frankland said.
"It shows where the city has been, where it is at today and where it is going by analyzing the demographics and charting trends that are occurring," Mr. Frankland said.
He said the other installments released were discussed during work sessions. He said if council is agreeable, they officially will adopt the master plan. Doing so has many benefits, Mr. Frankland said. For example, he said, when issues arise in the central retail district, developers looking at the city have an understanding of where the community wants to go.
Adopting a plan also has legal benefits, he said. For example, it backs up recommendations as to what zoning should occur in the industrial core and gives the city legal arguments as to why that zoning should not be permitted, he said.
"Basically, it helps the city control its own destiny," Mr. Frankland said.
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