Developers, planners and council discuss vision, process and constraints for Severance site

The Cleveland Heights Planning & Development Committee convened outside developers, designers and consultants for a roundtable discussion about zoning, process and a long-vacant parcel known in the meeting as the Severance site. Committee members said the conversation is intended to help the planning department craft a development framework that attracts investors while reflecting community preferences.

Panelists and participants included developers, architects and consultants who have worked on regional infill and mall-revitalization projects: Paul Volpe (architect/developer), Ryan Porter (partner, Impact Collective), Crystal Best (consultant, DealPoint Merrill), Larry Nowak (resident), John Sowell (resident/contractor) and others. Director Eric Zamp and Assistant Planning Director Karen Knut joined the discussion.

Common themes from the discussion:

- Start with a clear vision and zoning that’s “as-of-right” for the desired outcomes. Several participants urged the city to define desired form, public-realm standards and allowable thresholds in advance so developers know what will be approved without special exceptions. Paul Volpe described form-based approaches this way: “Form based zoning gets away from... density per acre and gets towards this is how high we want buildings to be. This is how we want buildings to be set back. This is where we want parking to be hidden.”

- Streamline process and provide predictable timelines. Panelists recommended predefined pre-application steps and a predictable site-plan approval window (e.g., 60–90 days) for projects that meet code, to reduce developer uncertainty and transaction costs.

- Address infrastructure bottlenecks early. Developers cautioned that off-site constraints—sewer capacity was cited as an example—should be identified and planned for upfront so later phases are not stalled by utility limitations.

- Preserve public trust through transparency and outreach. Speakers emphasized extensive community engagement and repeated, early outreach to neighborhood groups to reduce late-stage opposition and to document progress. “I’m nervous about all the community members I have not touched... getting 7 months down the road,” one developer said, urging staff support to mitigate that risk.

- Allow flexible uses at appropriate scale and with design controls. Participants debated whether certain uses (for example, climate-controlled self storage) should be allowed at scale if design standards ensure active street frontages and appropriate thresholds. A planning panelist summarized the trade-off: “I don’t care what’s inside the building, frankly, as long as it doesn't pierce the threshold of what we so... the form of that building is what's important.”

Speakers also urged the city to narrow and prioritize a small set of target sites, update or supplement the comprehensive plan with practical visioning for those parcels, and use RFPs or developer outreach that communicates the city’s preferred outcomes.

Local context: Participants said the Severance site covers roughly 60 acres and is a long-term opportunity that could catalyze broader investment if the city and property owners align on vision and process. Developers acknowledged private ownership (the meeting referenced Namdar as one property owner) and urged predictable benchmarks and transparency in negotiations.

Next steps: The committee said it will continue these discussions and hold follow-up sessions; staff and invited developers agreed to identify priority parcels, refine process recommendations and continue outreach with community stakeholders and technical consultants.