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Valley View Planning Board tables North Coast Community Homes proposal after questions on staffing, parking and oversight
Summary
The board tabled a request to convert a single-family house at 12360 Schreiber Rd. into a four-bedroom community home managed by North Coast Community Homes, citing missing plan details, parking and code-classification questions; the organization and the architect were told to return with full plans and county clarification.
The Village of Valley View Planning Board on July 15 tabled a request from North Coast Community Homes to change the use of a single-family house at 12360 Schreiber Road into a four-bedroom community residence for people with developmental disabilities.
Nick Stroup, chief operating officer of North Coast Community Homes, told the board the nonprofit manages nearly 200 single-family homes that typically house three to four residents and that the Schreiber property would initially house two residents and their support services, with a potential to fill four bedrooms over time. Architect Eric Schneider said the first floor is planned to be about 1,788 square feet (3,576 total including the basement) and that the design includes accessibility upgrades, a whole-house fire alarm and a residential 13D sprinkler system that North Coast will provide "above and beyond" standard residential code requirements.
Board members pressed for more specifics. Secretary Marty Johnston and Member Joseph White asked how staffing would be arranged, who hires and supervises caregivers and how the village would be protected from repeated turnover or service breakdowns. Stroup said residents and guardians hire support staff and that most homes have 24/7 support when needed; he said the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities conducts assessments and helps match residents to appropriate homes. Chief Ken Papesh said other jurisdictions reported positive experiences with North Coast homes and confirmed the applicant intends to obtain state reviews for the alarm and sprinkler systems.
Solicitor David Lambros cautioned the board that local zoning decisions must be consistent with state and federal law, including Fair Housing precedents that affect how municipalities may define "single-family" use. Lambros said he would supply a legal memo explaining case law and definitional issues the board should consider.
Board members also asked for a site-plan review addressing parking. The architect said the property has a single driveway and space behind the home and that additional parking has not yet been drawn; Engineer Todd Sciano recommended the parking plan be shown now so reviewers can evaluate how many vehicles (staff, visitors, guardians) the site must support and whether curb/circulation changes are needed.
Members voted to table the variance request (Ordinance Section 1248.02) until the next meeting while staff and the applicant supply full interior plans, a parking/site-plan solution and further guidance from Cuyahoga County. Mayor Matthew March and members said they would ask for outreach to the county office that handles developmental-disability placements to clarify how residents are referred and supervised.
The board's action was procedural: the change-of-use request was not approved or denied. Mr. Stroup and Mr. Schneider were instructed to provide complete drawings to Building Commissioner Larry Ellis and to coordinate the county outreach before the item returns to the Planning Board.
