Planning Commission approves Meridel arena, pavilion and final plat with conditions

The City of Delaware Planning Commission on May 7 unanimously approved a development plan (PD25-1 DVP No. 1) and a conditional-use permit (PUD25-1 CU No. 1) for a proposed Performance Impact Arena and Pavilion in the Meridel subdivision and separately approved the Meridel final plat (S25-8) covering about 258 acres.

The approvals allow a roughly 27,000-square-foot facility proposed by Ohio AAA Blue Jackets that would include three indoor ice sheets and an outdoor amphitheater that the applicant says would be converted to an outdoor ice sheet in winter months. The commission’s action included multiple staff-recommended conditions covering parking, landscaping, tree placement, noise and lighting controls, and coordination with emergency services.

Staff and applicant summary

City planning staff, represented in the hearing by Anna (city planner), said the project site sits in Subarea A of the Meridel PUD on the northeast corner of the development and covers about 13.5 acres. The application included a development plan (site layout, elevations, landscaping, lighting and signage) and a conditional use (hours, sound and lighting limits, site restrictions and revocation provisions).

Anna told the commission the applicant proposes 263 on-site parking spaces but acknowledged that is “obviously not sufficient for this particular use.” Staff and the applicant agreed on a required shared- and cross-parking plan across the larger Meridel campus; a condition of approval will withhold final zoning inspections until the additional parking facilities described in the shared-parking plan are completed. Anna said developers will also work with the city forester and parks staff to shift proposed street trees “outside of the ditch” where practical and that a fee-in-lieu option (per chapter 11 68) could be used where planting space is inadequate.

Project design and operations

The proposed building materials are primarily metal with some limestone. Staff noted mechanical equipment must be screened.…