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Planning commission recommends approval of site plan and 45-foot wetland setback variance at 816 Seasons Road
Summary
The Stow City Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a site plan and a variance reducing the Category 2 wetland setback to 45 feet for a new 3,600 sq ft storage building at 816 Seasons Road; one commissioner voted no citing wetland setback standards.
The Stow City Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of site-plan application PC25-029 for 816 Seasons Road, a roughly 3-acre industrial property in the Mudbrook/Whiteland stream setback overlay, despite one commissioner’s objection citing wetland setback standards.
Staff introduced the application and said the site already contains a 1,600-square-foot building and a storage building approved in 2023. The new proposal replaces or mirrors the earlier 3,600-square-foot storage building and would place impervious surfaces and parking approximately 5 feet inside the Category 2 50-foot setback. Staff characterized the request as a variance of 45 feet from the overlay’s Category 2 setback requirement.
The applicant, Adam Frohman of Green Oasis, was sworn and told the commission the building is intended for small-business storage and contractor/warehouse uses and will be screened from the road to match existing site colors and massing. Frohman said he worked with EnviroScience, that the property contains low depressions that qualify as wetlands, and that he applied to and received Army Corps of Engineers approval to mitigate or fill the wetland areas affected by the project: “We did apply for the mitigation of the wetlands to the Army Corps of Engineers and they actually approved it,” he said.
Commissioners asked whether a variance had been requested during the 2023 approval; Frohman said a variance was not required then and reiterated that site constraints — chief among them creating drivable access and parking for trucks and trailers — make it difficult to avoid encroaching on the mapped setback while maintaining usable vehicle access.
During roll call on the motion to approve (motion by Speaker 5, seconded by Speaker 1), Commissioner Clancy voted yes; Speaker 6 voted no, citing “the 11.55.66 wetland setback standards”; Wagner, Trepto/Shrepto and Basic voted yes. The chair declared the motion carried and staff recorded that this commission action is a recommendation to City Council, which will consider the matter in January.
The commission’s recommendation does not itself authorize construction; any council action, permit conditions, or permits required under Army Corps approvals remain separate approvals the applicant must secure.
Next steps: the commission’s recommendation will go to Stow City Council in January for final action.
