Council approves two races, Danny’s events and rooftop encroachment with noise and alley stipulations

Rossford City Council on Feb. 24 approved event and encroachment requests affecting downtown Rossford, including two race-related road closures from Dave’s Running, two Danny’s Cafe special-event requests and a removable rooftop encroachment for Danny’s.

Allison, the city administrator, described the September closure as part of the Toledo mini marathon route that will run straight down State Route 65 through Rossford; she said organizers estimated a roughly two-hour window (about 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.). Allison also described the annual October race (set for Oct. 21) as the same route used in prior years and estimated to take about an hour to 90 minutes.

Council approved an August request from Danny’s Cafe to barricade front and side parking for a Rossford High School reunion; Allison said the applicant requested the event run 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. (bar close). Council conditioned that approval on a stipulation that outdoor music end at 11:00 p.m., consistent with the city’s noise ordinance.

Council also approved Danny’s annual “zombie crawl” for October, described by staff as matching the prior year’s layout and hours, with indoor music. For the rooftop encroachment behind Danny’s, Allison said the applicant (Mark) obtained a zoning permit the same day and that the proposed removable rooftop system would overhang the city sidewalk, exceed 8 feet in height and would not hang over the alley. Council approved the encroachment on the condition it does not encroach into the alley; staff reminded council that consent is revocable and not an easement.

Residents raised noise and quality-of-life concerns during audience remarks. A resident at 113 Bergen Street asked whether Danny’s has a noise variance and who will monitor decibel levels; Allison said the Rossford Police Department will respond and enforce decibel limits. Council and staff clarified that where a commercial property borders a residential district, applicable decibel limits are based on the adjacent residential standards and the police have meters to measure levels on complaint.

Other audience questions during the meeting covered sidewalks and sewer/water construction sequencing on Hillcrest, Riverside and Jennings; Allison and staff said design work delayed some sequencing but that sewers and water lines will be completed before paving and that the marina trench and large light issues would be addressed before the marina opens.

Quotes from the meeting include Allison’s description of the races and their downtown impact: “They bring thousands of people to our downtown,” she said. A resident concerned about the zombie crawl’s impact on Bergen Street told council, “It wasn’t a blast for Bergman Street,” which prompted staff to reiterate that calls for enforcement or direct contact with council members would be used if problems occur.

Council asked staff to ensure permits reflect the music/time stipulations and to confirm the building-inspection department verifies the encroachment meets the approval conditions before installation.