Planning committee refers Commerce Park Drive redevelopment plan to public hearing

Planning committee members of the Akron City Council referred an ordinance approving the Commerce Park Drive redevelopment plan for public hearing on Oct. 20.

The ordinance, described at the committee meeting as approving the Commerce Park Drive redevelopment plan, making necessary findings and declaring an emergency, was read into the record and formally referred and advertised for a public hearing.

Committee members took no substantive debate on the plan during the meeting; the clerk read the ordinance language and the committee moved immediately to refer the item for public hearing. No vote counts by member were recorded in the discussion transcript beyond the chair’s announcement that “the ayes have it.”

The public hearing will give the council an opportunity to receive testimony and further information before any final action on the ordinance. The measure’s emergency clause was included in the version read to the committee, and the hearing was scheduled by the committee for Oct. 20.