Council recommends planning review of final annexation, sets zoning as General Business B for Whipple/Wise parcel

The North Canton City Council voted to send the final zoning for a city-owned parcel at Whipple Avenue Northwest and Wise Avenue Northwest to the planning commission and to postpone final council action until the planning commission issues a recommendation.

The move implements the last step of an annexation the council previously filed, establishing the parcel’s zoning classification as General Business B (GBB) and placing it in Ward 1. Council members said the parcel is expected to remain commercial and — unless a larger residential development is built — the annexation should not change the city’s voting makeup.

“Okay, as you can see up on the map here, we're looking to… change it to GBB,” the presiding council member said while explaining the request. A council member later asked for confirmation that the action was simply to assign zoning; the presiding member and staff confirmed it was the final zoning step.

Councilor action: the presiding officer moved to recommend the item to the planning commission for further consideration; the motion was seconded and carried. The presiding officer then made a separate motion to postpone further council consideration of the item until the planning commission submits its recommendations; that motion likewise was seconded and carried.

Next steps: the planning commission will consider the rezoning and return a formal recommendation to council. The council’s votes documented only the motions to refer and to postpone; no final zoning ordinance adoption occurred at this meeting.