Residents urge council to reject 3-story assisted living plan at W. 130th and Bennett; council moves ordinance to second reading

North Royalton City Council on Feb. 17 placed Ordinance 26-40 on second reading after the applicant asked for extra time to revise plans for a proposed 120-unit assisted living facility at the northeast corner of West 130th Street and Bennett Road.

The conditional use permit at issue, introduced by Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz, would allow Vermilion Ohio Acquisitions, LLC, on behalf of NR4C Ventures, Ltd., to build a 120-unit assisted living facility on parcel PPN 484-18-024 in the Local Business district. Applicant representative Darrin Jolas of Vermilion Development asked Council in an emailed request that the hearing be postponed so the developer could revise the preliminary site plan after public comment; Clerk Helen Dunlap filed that email with the Council Office.

Why it matters: multiple nearby residents told the City Council in submitted letters that the proposed scale and placement are incompatible with the surrounding single-family neighborhood and raised safety and infrastructure concerns. "The proposed scale, height, and placement of a three-story assisted living facility ... would result in a structure that towers over nearby homes and significantly alters the established character of our residential neighborhood," wrote Mia Cirignano, who identified herself as a Ward 5 resident.

What residents said: letters filed with the Council Office and read into the record included these recurring concerns: requests for denial of a requested height variance and that a three-story building would tower over nearby homes (Mia Cirignano); increased traffic congestion and parking overflow at the intersection of W. 130th and Bennett Road (Dan Shevock); light pollution from exterior and security lighting (Hans & Kristel Geyer); increased nighttime emergency vehicle activity and sirens (Becky Latshaw, Kenneth Ptak); risk of drainage and stormwater runoff on the adjacent lower-lying subdivision (Hans & Kristel Geyer, others); and potential negative impacts on property values (Daniel Walker, Laurie Walker). Several letters asked Council to deny the variances or require the project be moved to a site zoned for higher density.

Council response and process: President of Council Paul Marnecheck acknowledged receipt of resident input and thanked Community Development Director Tom Jordan and City Planner Ian Russell for producing extensive draft minutes from the Feb. 4 Planning Commission meeting. Marnecheck said Council was "comfortable" placing Ordinance 26-40 on second reading as a professional courtesy in light of the applicant's request for more time; no final vote on the conditional use permit occurred that night.

What is next: because Council placed the item on second reading, the ordinance was not adopted on Feb. 17. The applicant indicated it will revise the preliminary site plan and return for further consideration and possible reconsideration by the Planning Commission. Council did not set a final date for action on the conditional use during the Feb. 17 meeting; the minutes note the next Council meeting approval date as March 3, 2026.

Context: the Planning Commission had recommended the conditional use permit to Council, and the Planning Commission meeting on Feb. 4 generated more than 30 pages of draft minutes referenced by Council leadership. The record filed with the Council Office includes the applicant's February 10 email requesting postponement and multiple resident letters opposing the project's size and placement.

The meeting adjourned at 9:21 p.m.