Developer and planners discuss 4-story mixed-use concept at Warrensville Center and Hillbrook amid zoning draft concerns

An architect and a developer presented preliminary concept drawings for a four-story, mixed-use building at the corner of Warrensville Center Road and Hillbrook Road and received detailed feedback from the University Heights Planning Commission and residents who raised concerns about building height, parking and stormwater.

Michael Augustidis, project director and architect for Vocon, said the project concept consolidates four parcels under the developer's control and would produce a roughly 36,000-square-foot, four-story building with 36 apartment units and a small ground-floor retail space. He said the team proposes 57 parking spaces on the site, including ADA parking; he also noted the required number of parking spaces under the draft zoning was 44 for residential and 6 for retail.

Commission discussion focused on the project's fit with a draft zoning code that divides the site between a Warrensville Center mixed-use subarea and a Warrensville Center residential subarea. Commissioner Rod, who chairs the city's economic development committee and is overseeing the zoning update, said the concept generally matches the committee's intent for mixed use along the corridor but raised three main issues: the southern parcels are designated residential under the draft code and are intended to read as 3.5 stories from the street rather than a visible fourth floor; the proposed height exceeds the residential matrix; and the design, as shown, is near the maximums for several provisions. "I think conceptually... this satisfies the intent of that zoning subsection," Rod said, but he urged the team to "shrink this, the height, or conceal a Fourth Floor, whether it be tucked into the roof."

Several commissioners and the presenter also questioned whether the site as consolidated should be treated under the more restrictive mixed-use rules or the residential rules that apply to the southern parcels. The applicant said the team had used the mixed-use matrix as a conservative baseline while the zoning draft remains under revision, and that they planned to work with planning staff to determine the most appropriate approach.

Residents who live behind the site took turns during public comment, raising concerns about privacy, stormwater runoff, the extent and proximity of parking, long-term retail demand and property values. Patrick Coburn (4033 Meadowbrook) and Deborah Newman (4027 Meadowbrook) both said existing backyards currently benefit from mature trees and garages that provide screening, and they expressed concern that the proposed parking would back up directly to rear property lines. "I want this project to succeed... I want something that anchors the neighborhood, but doesn't... we want something that merges it," Coburn said while urging greater buffering.

Stormwater was a recurring concern. Augustidis and his team described standard site solutions: an underground stormwater retention tank under the parking area, catch basins and grading that would hold and slowly release runoff to public storm infrastructure. "Everything would drain to a catch basin that drops into the stormwater retention tank," Augustidis said. Staff and the team also said fire-access roadway widths had been considered in the site layout.

Parking supply and use drew sustained comment. Commissioners noted the proposed parking count in the rear was tight relative to unit count, and one commissioner recommended further study or possible reduction of required minimums. Mike Maliscus, a resident and regular commenter on city parking policy, recommended rethinking parking minimums and suggested modern approaches that reduce on-site parking and create room for green buffers or pocket parks.

The presentation was explicitly for discussion; commissioners did not take action. The commission's zoning committee will continue drafting the citywide code and hold public hearings later in the year; the applicant said it planned to continue refining the design to respond to height, buffering, parking and stormwater feedback.

Details provided by the presenter: total building area a little over 36,000 square feet; 36 residential units (11 one-bedroom units, 10 one-bedroom-plus-den units, 15 two-bedroom units as described by the applicant); on-site parking provided 57 spaces (applicant's site plan), with the draft zoning's minimums described as 44 residential spaces plus 6 retail spaces; first-floor retail shown at about 1,800 square feet in renderings. The applicant discussed screening with a 6-foot privacy fence and evergreen landscaping along residential property lines, and noted drop-off and loading access were located to avoid passage through the building.

No vote or permit decision was made at this meeting; the item was a concept presentation and the commission asked staff to coordinate next steps for rezoning and public hearings under the draft zoning code.