Council committees refer donation of three parcels near Newton Park to planning with restrictions suggested

Stacy Carr, Barberton’s planning director, asked committee members to accept as a donation three parcels of land located within Newton Park that are currently owned by Barberton City Schools. The Streets, Sidewalk and Lighting Committee referred the request to the Planning Committee; Planning considered the request and also referred it to planning for ordinance drafting on April 21.

Carr recommended the draft ordinance include a provision preventing anything other than routine maintenance or mitigation work on the parcels until the legislative body formally dedicates the parcels as parkland by ordinance. “There should be no, other than routine maintenance, there should be no construct or no improvements to these parcels until the legislative body lifts that prohibition,” Carr said, noting the parcels remain zoned residential under the city's development code and are not formally parkland until an ordinance dedicates them.

Committee members discussed stormwater mitigation and potential future uses if the parcels were dedicated as parkland, and the mayor noted prior legal review in similar cases that could trigger charter provisions (including potential voter-approval requirements) if parkland dedication or disposition were to follow certain paths. The committees voted to refer the donation to planning for ordinance language that would include the recommended restrictions; the transcript records committee passage but does not include final ordinance text.