The Toledo Zoning and Planning Committee on Jan. 8 recommended approval of five land‑use and code items and will forward them to the full Toledo City Council for final action.

The most substantial item was a recommended rezoning for a 7.1‑acre site at 2388 Tremainesville Road (case Z24‑0010) so a private developer can build what the applicant described as 18 residential lots — 15 duplexes and three triplexes — intended as lower‑cost housing. ‘‘We’re pleased to note that the zone change is consistent with the comprehensive plan, existing land use, zoning classification of properties in the general vicinity, and the forward Toledo plan,’’ said Matt Lewandowski, principal with Lewandowski Verdanis, the project’s design engineer. Lewandowski said 105 notices were sent about the project and that a public meeting on Oct. 24 drew 21 attendees. He told the committee the plan includes a stormwater design with a ‘‘48‑hour drain‑dry detention pond’’ and a mostly 6‑foot privacy fence around the perimeter; he also said a jurisdictional wetland determination from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is pending and could change the lot count by one or two.

The committee recommended approval and asked that the rezoning move to the full council. Committee members raised questions about construction traffic, shared driveway access on Tremainesville and flooding along Melwood Road; Lewandowski said neighbors had expressed those concerns and that sediment bags left in Melwood catch basins from earlier construction were slowing flows.

Other land‑use decisions

- St. Francis DeSales High School: The committee recommended approval of a special‑use permit (case SUP24‑00106) for an approximately 25,100‑square‑foot pole‑frame structure to enclose an existing batting cage on the school’s baseball field. Christian Murphy of AFM told the committee the structure will be earth‑tone and screened; members welcomed the athletic improvement and sent the item to the full council.

- Street vacation for downtown headquarters: The committee recommended approval of a vacation of a portion of Hunt Street north of Hamilton Street (case V‑403‑24). Applicant Dan Pienta said his business bought a facility downtown in July and is planning renovations to move its headquarters from Maumee ‘‘probably early Q2 of this year.’’ Planning staff said a small remnant of the old highway right‑of‑way is not needed for public purposes and supported the vacation.

Two municipal code amendments

- Enforcement language: The committee recommended approval of a text amendment to clarify that the general enforcement provisions in Toledo Municipal Code chapter 1115 take precedence over conflicting language in section 1113‑0906 and to make small edits to aid enforcement. Planning staff said they will bring a budget amendment later this month to provide vehicles for zoning compliance specialists who are currently using personal vehicles.

- Massage‑parlor definitions and Ohio law: The committee recommended approval of a text amendment to Toledo Municipal Code section 1116‑0183 to align local definitions with the Ohio Revised Code, clarifying that a business claiming the massage‑therapist use must show state licensure to obtain a certificate of occupancy. Planning staff explained the change is intended to avoid gaps between local rules and state law.

What the committee did not decide

All recommendations were advisory to the full city council; the committee did not record final council votes. No formal roll‑call votes for passage on these items were recorded in the committee meeting transcript. Several members asked follow‑up questions of applicants and staff; neighbors’ concerns about traffic, shared drives and flooding were noted on the rezoning item but did not produce a committee directive beyond standard conditions of approval and future plat review.

Next steps

Each approved item will be placed on the city council agenda for final consideration. Planning staff said some items will require subsequent plats or permit steps and, in the enforcement amendment’s case, a budget action to purchase vehicles for compliance staff.