Garden Fences, Wetlands up for Council Vote on Jan. 9
Public Hearings Set: Fences at 5 pm on Thursday; Marijuana on Jan. 23
If you have an interest in whether Stow should allow residents to have garden fences in their front yards or the city should preserve green space, you’ll want to attend this Thursday’s (Jan. 9, 2025) City Council meeting.
Public Hearing then a Vote
City Council will hold a public hearing at 5 pm to get residents’ input on changes to the city’s current zoning law regarding fences on residential property. The amended ordinance would create a new category of fences called Garden Fences and specifies the placement, dimensions and materials to be used.
The amendment to the ordinance was requested by Matthew Chevalier, of 3759 Kent Rd., who had been asked by the city to remove his front yard garden fence after the city received complaints last May. Chevalier obtained a zoning variance from the Building & Zoning Board of Appeals to keep the fence up during the gardening season, but desired a change to the city’s zoning to allow the fencing to stay up permanently. The Planning Commission recommended approval of his request.
At the Nov. 7 meeting, Planning Director Zack Cowan explained that current code allows for fences up to four feet high to be erected in front yards and excludes materials like wire, wire mesh and chain link fencing. Chevalier explained at the meeting that the current law does not allow for fencing tall enough or made from materials that would prevent wildlife from eating his vegetables. The revision would allow fences up to 8 feet tall that could be constructed of wire, wire mesh, plastic mesh or other comparable materials.
Following the public hearing at 5 pm, council will vote on the amendment during its regular meeting at 7 pm.
Wetlands Acquisition Proposal Up for Vote
Also on City Council’s agenda for Thursday is a proposal for the city to partner with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy to pursue grants to cover the cost of acquiring 39 acres of wetlands along Mud Brook off of Steels Corners Rd. near Wyndham Ridge.
An effort to vote on a similar proposal for the property was shut down on a technical vote in September, with Councilman At-Large Jeremy McIntire and Ward 4 Councilman Mario Fiocca voting against the proposal.
Councilman At-Large Kyle Herman expressed support for the effort in an interview:
"The wetlands and woods around Mud Brook to the West of Route 8 are one of the largest green spaces left in Stow, despite dense residential development around them in recent years. The City of Stow already owns a portion of that land, but it is difficult to access,” he said.
“Partnering with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy would allow the city to apply for grants to grow its land assets at no cost to taxpayers so that area and its wildlife can be protected from further encroachment, and would open the possibility for the city to eventually create a park with trails in easy walking distance from hundreds of residents.”
Residents interested in voicing their opinion on this resolution may do so during the public comment period at council’s regular meeting at 7 pm. As this proposal is in its 3rd reading, council is expected to vote on it during this meeting.
Public Hearing on Marijuana Sales Set for Jan. 23
Also this Thursday, City Council will give its 2nd reading to proposed legislation to allow the sale, cultivation and processing of adult-use cannabis in the light industrial areas of Ward 4 along Seasons Rd., Allen Rd. and McCauley Rd.
A public hearing for this legislation has been scheduled for Jan. 23 at 5 pm, after which council could vote on the matter during its 7 pm meeting that night.
The legislation would rescind a previously enacted ban on the sale of medical marijuana and sanction the production and sale of both medical and recreational marijuana.
The proposal would establish the following limits on the location of cannabis businesses:
No cannabis facility within 1-mile of another cannabis facility;
No cannabis facility within 1,000 feet of the end boundaries of the lot on which the cannabis facility would be located to the end boundaries of lots on which a school, church, public library, public playground, public park, or opioid treatment facility are located or proposed;
No outdoor storage of products or materials;
No outdoor sales of marijuana;
No drive-thru sales;
No adult use cannabis facility could be located within 1,000 feet of a residential district.
The last bullet point above effectively limits the placement of cannabis businesses to a small area in Ward 4 described above and could result in there only being one cannabis facility as a result of the restriction that they be at least 1-mile apart.
City Seeks Resident Input on Zoning Code Updates
A preliminary report on recommended changes to the city’s planning & zoning code is available online for residents to read and to provide online feedback. The project kicked off in June.
View the report and submit your feedback here: https://stow-oh-zoning-code-update-hlplanning.hub.arcgis.com/
Upcoming City Events
New Community & Senior Center Grand Opening: The city will hold a grand opening for its new Community & Senior Center at 5344 Fishcreek Rd. on Sunday, Jan. 12 from 1-4 pm. In addition to comments from Mayor John Pribonic, the event will feature a ribbon-cutting at 1:45 pm; tours of the 8,000-sq.-ft. facility; refreshments, door prizes and giveaways; music by the SMF String Orchestra; and magician Jason Alan, who previously performed on Penn & Teller. Stow offers Senior Adult Programming for residents ages 55+. Learn more about city-sponsored bus trips and other activities here.
MLK Day Community Conversation: Monday, Jan. 20, at Leona Farris Lodge (Silver Springs Park), doors open at 5:30 pm, program from 6-7:30 pm. Local speakers will discuss the importance of Martin Luther King’s message in our community and then invite group discussion on a variety of topics to enhance understanding of diversity and inclusion. Includes refreshments. Learn more here.
