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Planning commission approves Findlay strip mall at 2801 Tiffin Ave with paving, lighting and truck‑route conditions
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Summary
The Findlay City Planning Commission voted Jan. 8 to approve a site plan for a 69,800‑sq.‑ft. strip mall at 2801 Tiffin Ave (Findlay Rock LLC) after staff and residents raised concerns about access, lighting and a degraded service drive; the approval requires repaving the adjacent improved area, submission of a photometric plan and work with staff on truck‑routing signage.
Findlay City’s Planning Commission on Jan. 8 approved a site plan for a new strip‑mall redevelopment at 2801 Tiffin Avenue, the former Lowe’s site, subject to conditions aimed at improving access and reducing neighborhood impacts.
CPC staff told commissioners the Findlay Rock LLC proposal would add roughly 69,800 square feet of commercial space arranged in eight storefronts and provide 356 parking spaces, well above the 202 spaces required by code. Staff said the property is zoned C‑2 and is designated regional commercial in the City of Findlay land‑use plan, and recommended approval of SP‑01‑2026.
During the public hearing residents and commissioners raised practical site‑layout questions. An area truck driver, Steve Delgard, warned that long delivery trucks would face tight turns around the northeast corner and urged the applicant to widen circulation to avoid curb strikes and conflicts with pedestrian crossings. The applicant, engineer Kyle Van Horn of Van Horn Hoover & Associates, said the team “ran truck turns” and that the intended delivery path would enter at the southwest corner, pass behind the building and exit to the north to avoid pedestrian areas.
Commissioners and city staff also pressed the applicant to address a deteriorated service drive and an adjacent parking area that contributors said had been a recurring problem. In a condition read into the motion, the commission required that the developer repave the improved area (specifically referencing the Chipotle/adjacent parking area), submit and receive approval for a photometric lighting plan, and work with staff to determine locations for truck‑route signage.
“Very good. This will be a big improvement,” one commissioner said during deliberations after confirming engineering had coordinated on sanitary and water lines. Engineering staff confirmed utility coordination and reminded the applicant that permits must be obtained prior to construction.
The motion to approve SP‑01‑2026 with those conditions passed by voice vote with the commission voting in favor (Mayor Marin; Mister Martin; Mister Tremblay; Mister Inbody; Mister Klinger). The city will require the developer to provide the approved lighting plan and demonstrate the repaving and signage obligations are met before construction proceeds.
What’s next: The applicant anticipates demolition work to begin in March; construction permits and utility permits must be secured before work commences.
