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Planning department previews Interbelt master plan and housing projects to council
Summary
The planning director described the Interbelt master plan to reconnect westside neighborhoods, new zoning work and downtown adaptive-reuse projects, plus housing investments including 120 Wintergreen Ledges affordable units and federal HUD-funded programs awaiting 2026 allocation.
Kyle Julian, Akron's planning director, briefed council on the department's priorities for 2026, focusing on transportation planning, housing and zoning updates.
Julian said AMATS (the Akron metropolitan area transportation study) will continue to manage a portfolio of approximately 70 projects receiving about $14 million in federal and $6 million in state transportation funds for the region. He described completion of an Interbelt master plan—intended to reconnect westside neighborhoods to the core—and said the plan will go to the planning commission in April before any council action.
Julian highlighted housing initiatives: Wintergreen Ledges, nearing completion, will provide roughly 120 affordable units with about 20 units reserved for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. He cited ongoing work on adaptive reuse projects downtown at 123 West Barges Street and the Akron Beacon Journal building to convert underused properties into mixed housing.
On code and enforcement, planning staff reported updates to the downtown signage code and a new licensing/spacing regime for smoke shops; as of the hearing staff said 19 licenses had been issued, five denied and 14 businesses had not completed the process and were in enforcement follow-up. Council members pressed for a ward-level breakdown of zoning enforcement outcomes and for specifics on the recently increased number of investigated zoning violations.
Why it matters: The master plan and zoning work set the rules that shape long-term land use and housing production. Council requested additional detail on HUD reimbursements and outcomes of enforcement cases before accepting the planning budget recommendations.
What's next: Planning staff said HUD allocation notices are expected within weeks and that they will return to council with the action plan and any needed legislation.
