Kaylee Keller told the Medina finance committee she is under purchase agreement for three adjoining parcels on West Liberty Street and needs a zoning change to make a consolidated commercial development viable. "I'm looking to buy all 3 parcels and just have a unified ... so I'm not held up down the road," Keller said.

Planning staff described the request as a rezoning of roughly 3.9 acres from C1 (local commercial) to C3 (general commercial) to allow a market and drive‑thru coffee, noting the planning commission recommended approval by a 5–0 vote. Staff also pointed out that Chapter 11.53 would continue to prohibit adult‑oriented uses within 500 feet of residential districts, so those conditional uses would not be permitted on this site.

Why it matters: Council members said they support economic activity but are wary of opening the entire corridor to more intensive commercial uses. Members cited past disputes over a Family Dollar application and raised concerns about truck access and long‑term uses that a full rezoning could allow. The applicant said she needs zoning approval to execute her purchase and secure financing with a planned summer start for construction.

Council discussed several technical alternatives — a narrowly tailored conditional use, an overlay district, a planned unit development (PUD) or deed restrictions tied to parcel ownership — that could allow the Keller project to proceed while limiting other future uses. Planning staff reminded the committee that rezoning requires a 30‑day advertising period for the public hearing.

The committee agreed to pause for two weeks so staff can draft and evaluate options that could enable the project without broadly changing the C1 district. If no solution is found in that period, council members said they would proceed with a rezoning process and public hearing.

The committee did not take a final rezoning vote at this meeting; next steps are a staff report in two weeks and scheduling of any required public hearing consistent with statutory notice periods.