Meeting Observed: Kent City Council (Ohio) Committee Meetings

Date of Meeting: 12/6/2023

Format: Virtual

Meeting Summary:

Public hearing: No public comments on the proposed map amendments to the city of Kent Zoning Code.

Committee of Whole:
Safety Town: A discussion about the proposed permanent safety town behind the Columbus Building on Franklin St. Permanent village has already been surveyed, engineering is in process, and fundraising will be the next step. The property is owned by the Kent City Schools. There was a wide range of discussion on the topic: Shaffer Bish asked about promoting the safety town; Turner asked how the Council could promote or help the measure. Sidoti talked about the meeting that had taken place with Tom Larkin (superintendent of schools). Kohar wanted to know how much the safety town would be used. Member of the audience, James Sattelman, said he had gone to many safety towns and urged that a larger building be constructed to address other issues, including fire activity.

Update on the City Administration Building: Melanie Baker said glass was delivered so that windows can be installed and plastic enclosure for heating the first floor, and more work could be done inside.

Land Use Committee:
Rezoning Johnson Road property: Bridget Susel. This refers back to a matter dealt with at the May meeting. The owner of two parcels on Johnson Road wanted Kent City Council to cede the property on Johnson Road to Franklin Township so he could convert the property to agricultural use. Kent City Council declined to do so. Owner sued. Susel discussed the compromise. Two parcels would remain in Kent. The two parcels would be rezoned from R2 to OR agricultural. The owner can do farming and raise livestock. The measure was approved unanimously.

Design Guidelines: This has been a matter that has been around for about two years. New guidelines were drafted by outside contractors, and public discussions and meetings followed. The guidelines were then revised. Susel said Kent does not have a historic district. According to Chapter 13, 93, Kent has an overlay district. For a historic district, 51 percent of the property owners within the proposed district needed to approve. In 2012, Kent City Council rejected the historic district. Under the proposal, the design guidelines will remain guidelines. The Design and Preservation Committee recommends historic designation to the Kent City Council. However, the city’s historic designation needs to be requested by the owner of the property and be based on the historical importance of the structure or the activities that took place within that structure. Design and Preservation makes a recommendation to the City Council. Once the building receives the local historic designation (according to 1393), that structure cannot be demolished Advantage for the historic designation – to seek historic tax credit. There are many questions from city council members vis a vis the concept of guidelines vs. regulations. Public comment: architect Bridget Tipton said guidelines are recommendations only and so not sure how she would follow them, calls the proposed design guidelines “extremely subjective.” The new guidelines have changed the overlay district, including residential properties. She recommended reconstituting the Architectural Review Board to deal with pressing matters. Retired Architect Doug Fuller said ARB has done a good job over the years and urged the council not to pass anything this evening but to continue to work on the design guidelines.

City Council members continued to ask questions. Turner asked if the Design and Preservation Committee and the Architectural Review Board might have possible conflicts. Susel said the Design and Preservation Committee was created in compliance with the State Preservation Committee.
Shaffer Bish moves to adopt the new design guidelines and strike the previous ones (with emergency). Wallach and Kohar vote no. Motion passes.

Finance Committee:
City/Portage County Public Defender Contract Renewal – approved unanimously
2024 City Operating Budge (Streaming cut off)

Which members of the board/council were present: Garret Ferrara, Ward 1; Jack Amrhein, Ward 2;  John Kuhar, Ward 4; Heidi Shaffer Bish, Ward 5; Tracy Wallach, Ward 6; Gwen Rosenberg, At Large; Michael DeLeone, At Large; Roger Sidoti, At Large; Robin Turner, Ward 3.

Was there a public notice of the meeting that included the time and place of meeting: Yes

Was an agenda of the meeting or handouts available to visitors: Yes

Are minutes from previous meetings posted/available: Yes

https://kentoh.portal.civicclerk.com/

Observer: Kathleen Endres