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Commission approves swim-school site alteration at former clinic site; members split on parking and circulation
Summary
The Planning Commission approved a site-plan alteration and building addition to convert a former clinic at 7533 Center Street into a franchise swim school, including excavation of an indoor pool; the vote passed 4–3 after commissioners raised parking and access concerns.
The Mentor Planning Commission on Jan. 16 approved a site-plan alteration and building addition to convert the former Cleveland Clinic building at 7533 Center Street into a swim school franchise, including excavation of an indoor pool roughly 25 by 75 feet.
The applicant said the project will include a full pool about 25 by 75 feet and roughly 4 feet deep, a small office or two, storage and a parent viewing area. City staff told the commission that design revisions addressed concerns raised at a prior meeting. The commission approved the site-plan alteration with four administrative conditions, but several members expressed concerns about on-site parking and the driveway’s interaction with Mentor Avenue traffic.
Brian Gilbride, the applicant representative, described updated site renderings and said the developer consolidated three parcels, added landscaping and provided an easement to the city for a corner feature. Matthew Weber of Weber Engineering explained pedestrian circulation will use the accessible (ADA) route and that final entrance placement will guide the pedestrian path.
Commissioner questions focused on parking counts and traffic circulation. Commissioner Birkbeck (first name not recorded) asked whether the 50 marked parking spaces were adequate. The commission discussed that staff had not required a traffic study; the applicant said the operator typically runs locations with about 60 spaces elsewhere and believed 50 would be sufficient but acknowledged the option to negotiate with the adjacent hotel for additional curb access if needed. Commissioner Varga emphasized concern about the driveway’s proximity to a busy intersection and the risk of queuing or conflict with turning traffic.
After discussion, a motion to approve with four conditions passed on a roll-call vote: Commissioners Crocker, Hadden, Perkovich and Cook voted yes; Commissioners Rossetti, Teedeman and Varga voted no. The conditions require final engineering, circulation clarifications, and other standard site-plan items to be satisfied before construction permits are issued.
The approval permits the applicant to move forward with engineering and permitting; the commission record shows staff and the applicant will continue to refine pedestrian connections, snow-plow considerations for walkways and options for additional parking or access with neighboring properties.
