Catching up! 8/24, 9/7 & 9/14 Recaps
Before we talk shop, I want to send my sincerest condolences to Mayor Shubert. Recently, his wife, Sherri Moyer, passed on after a hard battle with Lymphoma. My family and I are sending love and prayers in this difficult time. I hope her family and friends find healing and peace, and that they can find comfort in the wonderful memories they have of her throughout her life.
8/24 Workshop
My Take: Most of this meeting was consumed with a discussion about the short-term rental legislation we passed in the spring. Staff addressed many topics Council asked them to revisit including parking, capacity, penalties, fees, and more. Staff plans to return to Council with proposed changes in the near future.
9/7 Meeting
Public Comments
Karen Farkas, Chair of the Environmental Awareness Committee (EAC), spoke about the EAC’s research on moving to a single hauler for trash and recycling services. She expressed concern about staff direction and requested that Council provide guidance. Council agreed this should appear on a future workshop agenda.
Discussion Items
9. A. 21-0070 Akron Secondary Trail Project (Akron to Hudson) Update
Brief Description: The City Staff will update City Council on the recent change to the Akron Secondary Trial Project (Akron to Hudson).
My Take: Towards the end of August, the City and Council received a letter from the County Executive letting us know that only phase 1 (would not include the portion that extends to Barlow Road) of the rails to trails plan was moving forward. Both Council and staff felt out of the loop, and there is still a desire to see this project fully come to fruition. We decided the best course of action is to reply with a letter expressing the City’s desire to have the trail extend through Hudson.
9/14 Workshop
Discussion Items
21-0076 Downtown Development Phase 2 Update (Heinen’s)
Brief Description: Representatives from Fairmont Properties will be in attendance to discuss the proposed Heinen’s Store and their conceptual plans for the Downtown Phase 2 properties.
My Take: Randy Ruttenberg and another representative from Fairmount properties, the developer who completed First & Main, attended to give City Council a presentation on their vision for developing the empty property that has come to be known as “Phase 2.” Their proposal includes a new, bigger, better 40k sq ft Heinens at the end of Clinton Street with housing (single-family, mostly single story, empty nester) all the way to the north end of the property. Here is a photo of what was proposed:
It is still very early in the process, so there are many questions that will need to be answered. However, Mr Ruttenberg expressed a desire to be a true partner with the city. He wants to do what is right for the community, so if there is not resident buy-in, he said they would not pursue the plan and Heinens would likely just renovate their existing store. Heinens would like to move forward with either a new building or renovations soon, as their current building does not meet all their needs. Therefore, they would like the timeline for this to be expedited, hoping decisions can be made in mid-November.
Overall, the reactions from Council varied, but the majority appeared interested in learning more.
I asked if they would consider doing a traffic study to allay fears of increased traffic that will surely arise, and suggested doing a resident-focused Town Hall to help educate the community and gather resident feedback. Knowing how the community feels will be crucial when deciding whether or not this is THE plan!
Council has a lot of work to do in the coming months to learn more about how the community views this proposed plan.
While I can acknowledge that no plan is perfect, the bones of this plan seem pretty good. I do need to learn more, but my initial gut reaction is that this could very well be the right plan for Hudson.
Get in touch with me and let me know your thoughts or if you have any questions. I am keeping a log of feedback on this proposal to help me in my decision-making process.
B. 21-0073 Use of American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) Funding
Brief Description: Staff is requesting Council’s final direction on how to use $2,329,349.30 in federal ARPA funding that is available to the City.
Update: Council is aligned that this money should go towards an infrastructure project that will benefit all of Hudson. Staff is recommending that the funding be used for the State Route 303 Water Main replacement project (est. cost is $2.5 mil). The Water Fund would pay any amount in excess of the ARPA funding.
Resurfacing of Hudson Aurora Road Begins Saturday
Click here for an update on this from the City! Avoid this area on Saturday.
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Have questions? Want to share your thoughts with me on any of the agenda items or issues listed above? As always, I would love to have a conversation! Email me directly at nkowalski@hudson.oh.us.
