The Avon Lake Zoning Board of Appeals approved plans in February for a new 34-space parking lot addition to the Avon Lake Animal Clinic, 124 Miller Road.
The new parking lot will be located closest to Smuggler’s Cove, an Electric Boulevard housing development in Avon Lake.
Although fully supportive of the clinic, some residents of Smuggler’s Cove said they have grown increasingly concerned with the parking lot plans.
Over 150 Smuggler’s Cove residents signed a community petition opposing the new lot.
Concerned citizen Amy Adams outlined the problems that come with the new lot, adding there could be a safety hazard for several reasons.
“Those living near the proposed parking lot, are concerned that the increase in traffic from those parking in the lot will threaten their children who must pass by in order to get to their bus stop,” Adams said. “The children ride their bikes in this area, and the residents walk here.”
The new lot could cause a large decrease in property values for Smuggler’s Cove, he said.
The Avon Lake Animal Clinic declined to comment at this time.
Some facets of the city government, Adams said, have recognized the problems evident with the new parking lot.
“The (Avon Lake) Planning Commission recognized the legal issues and the neighbors’ concerns by voting 5-2 to send Avon Lake City Council a denial recommendation,” Adams said. “The residents have hired legal assistance from local attorney Gerald Phillips and also from attorney Rachel Kuhns of Kaman & Cusimano, Cleveland.”
Avon Lake Community Development Director Ted Esborn said the parking lot issue has had a rich history of controversy since the beginning of the year.
The Avon Lake Animal Clinic was able to get a use variance from the city to build the parking lot, even in a residential zoning area.
“(The lots were) zoned residential at the time, and in fact, they’re still zoned residential,” Esborn said. “The Animal Clinic went to Avon Lake’s Zoning Board of Appeals and got a use variance that allows them to build a parking lot there, but the parking lot is only permitted conditionally.”
Those working with the Avon Lake Animal Clinic essentially had to make the case that the parking lot was the best use for the property, rather than housing, Esborn said.
“The Planning Commission recommended denial (of the conditional use permit). The Animal Clinic requested that the case not go to Council right away,” he said. “Council obliged and it was scheduled for October, so now that’s where we are.”
Esborn acknowledged that various petitions by residents have been active since about February of this year, when the issues first arose.
This includes the petition by the residents of Smuggler’s Cove, which the city is taking into consideration, he said.
Most likely, the city has discussed ways to mitigate possible safety hazards, should the parking lot get approval for construction, Esborn said.
One major factor of discussion is forming another ingress and egress point for the development, he said.
“I personally have not been in any meetings or discussions about finding solutions to that, but I think those discussions may have been had, in other departments,” Esborn said.
Where that extra point of ingress and egress would be located, currently is unknown, he said.
Nothing is imminent in terms of forming a new ingress and egress point for the development, Esborn said.
The Avon Lake Animal Clinic parking lot issue will go before Council on Oct. 16 at Avon Lake City Hall, 150 Avon Belden Road.