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Council approves Liberty Hill Apartments site plan despite resident objections to EV pad
Summary
Solon City Council approved a planning-area variance and site plan for Liberty Hill Apartments, allowing a 25-by-25 pad for two EV charging stations at a former compactor site; nearby resident Larry Mecklenburg urged the city to restore the area to grass, while the applicant said power was already present and most concrete would be returned to lawn.
Council approved a site plan and related variances for Liberty Hill Apartments that allow a small electric-vehicle charging pad where a compactor once stood. The approval followed public comment from a nearby resident who said the city had agreed to return the former compactor area to grass.
Resident Larry Mecklenburg told the council, “I'm here about the, well, it used to be the compactor... I'm not for this item” and urged the council to “meet the agreed upon thing that we stipulated at the last meeting.” Mecklenburg said the prior agreement called for removing the concrete and restoring a natural grass area.
Bob Trimper, representing Liberty Hill Apartments, told the council the proposal was driven by resident demand and the presence of electricity at the former compactor location. “It was a combination of we have residents that have electric vehicles... There is electricity present at that location from the compactor,” Trimper said, adding the developer planned to return “probably over 80%, 90% of the concrete to grass,” and keep a 25-by-25 pad for two vehicles.
Councilmembers said planning staff and the planning commission had vetted the application and required screening and fence details. One councilmember noted the developer agreed to a six-foot board-and-batten fence with the required opening percentage to reduce visibility from neighboring properties. Council discussion emphasized the amenity value for residents, the limited size of the pad and that EV charging produces no mechanical noise beyond plugging in.
A motion to approve the Liberty Hill agenda item passed on roll call; each councilmember recorded a yes vote on the motion.
Next steps: the council approved the site plan contingent on compliance with planning, engineering and fire-department memos referenced in the planning commission recommendation; those memos (dated April 2026) remain part of the file and the council directed adherence to them.
