Millers Landing Deliberations Continue: An Update

On Dec. 6, 2022, Pulte Homes introduced to the Stow Planning Commission a plan to build a subdivision consisting of two cul-de-sacs off N. River Road, between Pambi Farms and Marsh Rd.

One year later, we may be getting closer to knowing whether the Millers Landing development will be approved to go forward. The ordinance to move forward with the development was presented to Stow City Council for its third hearing on Nov. 9.

After multiple meetings by the Planning Commission, which passed the ordinance 4-0 on Sept. 26 to send it to the Planning Committee of City Council, as well as informal meetings that homeowners held with individual members of City Council throughout the summer, homeowners from the neighboring area packed City Council chambers for what they expected would be the final vote.

It didn’t happen. An email, sent earlier in the day to City Council by Saratoga Blvd. resident Amy Cole, started a new discussion among council members about whether the plan had been approved by the city’s planning and engineering departments and the Planning Commission without a clear determination of whether the three new city blocks that would be created by the installation of the two cul-de-sacs met the city’s zoning code requirement for “Residential Block Lengths.”

See 1121.04 BLOCKS, section (a) from the Stow Zoning Code below:

According to Cole’s email, the distance between Marsh Rd. and Saratoga Blvd. is approximately 1,600 feet; adding two streets between would create three blocks of approximately 472 ft. to 633 ft. each. See Cole’s letter.

At question is how the city’s planning and engineering departments interpreted the city’s zoning code when it approved the final plat.

See City Council’s discussion of the question of block length:

City Council decided to table the final vote until it could seek an outside legal opinion on the matter.   

On Nov. 20, City Council held a special meeting to approve legislation to engage the law firm of McDonald Hopkins LLC to render a legal opinion about how the zoning code definitions should be applied in this matter.

In addition to the question about how to interpret the length of residential blocks in the city code, City Council also sought an answer on how temporary vs. permanent cul-de-sacs should be defined (an issue from the very beginning of the process) and how many votes would be required to reject or pass the legislation given that the Planning Commission had passed the ordinance 4-0.

Here are the specific questions Council asked the law firm to address:

1. Does the proposed development along North River Road create three separate residential blocks (Marsh Road to Charles Place; Charles Place to Roberta Way;

2. If the proposed subdivision does create three separate residential blocks, would this require a variance;

3. Where Roberta Way and Charles Place connect to North River Road meet the definition of an intersection;

4. Does the analysis of whether a cul-de-sac is permanent vs temporary change if the streets are not publicly dedicated and

5. Under 36 Charter Section 10.06 and being that this is considered a quasi-judicial process, if Ordinance 2023- 37 159 does not receive 5 votes that differ from Planning Commission’s Recommendation and does not receive the 4 votes required under Charter Section 4.11 would Ordinance 2023-159 be considered adopted with 3 affirmative votes of council.

The Planning Committee of City Council will meet this Thursday, Dec. 14, at 5:30 pm in Stow City Council chambers to further discuss the issue and the law firm’s report. There is no indication whether there will be a final vote during the meeting or if additional discussion or issues will push this debate into next year, when a new council convenes.

All City Council meetings, including committee meetings, are open to the public.