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Richmond Heights advances plan to create B‑3 business district to revive Curtis Wright Parkway
Summary
Council approved introduction of Ordinance 71‑20‑25 to create a B‑3 commercial/general business district intended to allow a broader mix of businesses on Curtis Wright Parkway; the county's streetscape plan and Planning Commission input informed the proposal and staff will prepare parcel‑level rezoning language.
Richmond Heights City Council on Tuesday moved forward with Ordinance 71‑20‑25, a proposal to create a new B‑3 commercial/general business district aimed at increasing occupancy and economic activity on Curtis Wright Parkway.
Chelsea Kovar, the city’s economic development director, told council that the current zoning restricts many uses and has left a sizable amount of property vacant. She said the county, which owns a large portion of land there, recommended rezoning the area in its streetscape plan: "Updating the zoning for Curtis Wright Parkway directly supports the goals outlined in the Richmond [master] plan by aligning our land use with the city's broader vision for economic growth, job creation, and community enhancement."
Mayor Thomas and staff noted the draft ordinance includes a list of permitted, conditional and specifically prohibited uses; the Planning Commission asked that cannabis and medical marijuana businesses be specifically prohibited in the new district. Council also discussed whether to include recreational marijuana as a permitted use in B‑3; one councilmember urged adding recreational marijuana to the list of allowable businesses to preserve future local revenue and control, while other members said they preferred to await the Planning Commission's final recommendation.
Council members and staff agreed that a separate ordinance will be required to apply the new B‑3 district to specific parcels; parcel identifiers would be used rather than a legal‑description mapping. The mayor said staff can have the parcel‑based ordinance ready for the next meeting. Council conducted a roll‑call in favor of moving the B‑3 ordinance forward on first reading.
The proposal is tied to broader economic goals: staff cited the Flexjet area (Curtis Wright Parkway) as roughly 45–50% vacant under current zoning restrictions and said rezoning would allow a broader range of businesses — from retail to office to service uses — that could increase tax base and jobs.
