Cleveland Heights explores flexible zoning, consultant study and developer incentives to spur housing and Severance redevelopment

Council President Davida Russell, chair of the Cleveland Heights Planning and Development Committee, convened a developers' roundtable on March 3 to ask what the city should change in zoning, incentives and process so developers will choose Cleveland Heights.

The forum brought together private developers, the county development office and the city’s planning director to press for more flexible zoning tools — including a smaller-site plan development district (PDD) or overlay for infill lots — clearer land-use guidance for specific parcels and faster permitting and outreach. "Zoning should be not static. It should be dynamic," said Paul Folpe, a resident architect and developer, arguing the city must adapt rules so vacant lots do not remain unused.

Why it matters: City staff and developers said procedural barriers and lack of a shared vision for individual parcels discourage investment. Council members signaled funding for technical experts to rewrite parts of the zoning code, but staff and elected leaders said the timing and line-item placement of that money in the 2025 budget still needs confirmation.

Ryan Porter, principal at Impact Collective, summarized work on Severance — a private redevelopment project — and…