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Police station impact minimal, city says
(by Sali McSherry - October 01, 2008)
Police station impact minimal, city says
By SALI McSHERRY
It will be up to Pepper Pike residents Nov. 4 whether to rezone residentially zoned land just east of the City Hall complex to accommodate a public building.
City Council and Mayor Bruce H. Akers are planning to build a new police station on the approximately 1.6-acre parcel that now includes a rental house.
When the property was purchased over 20 years ago it would have been prudent for the city to rezone it at that time, Mr. Akers said, because it was always the plan to use it for municipal purposes in the future. But that's hindsight, he said.
According to Pepper Pike's charter, the land is subject to rezoning by a vote of the residents, even though the city owns it and would use it for municipal purposes.
While several nearby residents expressed concerns this summer about the possibility of increased noise, especially sirens, in their residential neighborhood, Mr. Akers said that would not be an issue. The police typically do not use their sirens until after they leave the station, he said.
There also is no basis for concern about property values decreasing, if the project is done properly, Mr. Akers said.
Councilwoman Gail Mayland has stated her concerns that the new police station would encroach upon residential neighbors.
But fellow council members have not shared that view.
Councilwoman Paulette Morganstern said the architecture of the proposed station would be compatible with the rest of the City Hall complex and the neighborhood and that it would be well screened from residents.
Bostwick Design Group, of Cleveland, proposed that the new police station, estimated at about $6.5 million, would be about 14,000 square feet, based on the needs of the police department and analysis of comparable communities. The existing station, which is attached to the east side of City Hall, is about 4,256 square feet.
Richard Leskovec, chairman of the Pepper Pike Civic League, said that, for the city to use the property in a practical manner, the land would have to be rezoned sooner or later. It makes sense to do it now, so the city won't have to scramble later, he said.
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