Planning commission approves church’s plan for three sand volleyball courts and four light poles

The North Canton Special Planning Commission voted July 9 to approve a conditional use permit and a development review for First Friends Church’s proposal to add three exterior sand volleyball courts and four light poles at 5455 Market Avenue.

Jeff Barber, the project architect, told the commission the original site plan had included six volleyball courts and that the current request reduces the number to three. Barber said the courts meet setback requirements and that the project replaces an underused softball field and will address an ongoing drainage problem on that parcel.

Staff told the commission the property is zoned parks and institutional and described the proposed use as a conditional use; staff also noted the zoning board of appeals had granted permission for 30-foot light poles where the code allows 20 feet. The staff recommendation to approve cited consistency with North Canton ordinance and the development plan.

Commissioners questioned the potential for off-site lighting. Barber said the lighting design, prepared by electrical engineer Bob Horn and his team, uses LED cutoff fixtures directed toward the court perimeter and that the lighting plans show roughly 0.1 foot-candle at the property line compared with the zoning limit of 0.5 foot-candle. Barber also said the design locates fixtures at the four corners and aims them inward to limit spill light. The applicant will also use excess fill to build an earthen mound intended to reduce sound transmission and pointed out an existing row of trees along the property edge as additional screening.

Tim Zorans, identified as a sports director for First Friends Church, said leagues are scheduled to end by 10:00 p.m. and that the church plans to turn lights off around 10:30 p.m.; he added the courts are not intended for continuous public use but for scheduled league activity.

A motion to approve conditional use application CUSE-25-4 passed on a roll-call vote with Mr. Leage, Mr. Reed, Mr. Sarah, Mr. Mahen and Mr. Dalpes voting yes. Later in the same meeting, the commission opened development review application DPLN-25-4 to consider landscaping, screening and appearance; staff recommended approval, and the commission approved the development plan by roll-call vote with the same unanimous outcome.

The commission did not add additional conditions on nights of operation during the meeting beyond the applicant’s stated plan to cease lighting by about 10:30 p.m. The meeting adjourned after the approvals and no further business was reported.