After tabling the topic at their September meeting, Chardon Planning Commission approved the final development plan and architectural review for Meijer Oct. 22.
After tabling the topic at their September meeting, Chardon Planning Commission approved the final development plan and architectural review for Meijer Oct. 22.
The new supercenter would be located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Loreto Drive and Water Street and would feature an mExpress gas station.
“As you recall, planning commission went through a litany of variances and sign deviations at last month’s hearing,” Community Development Administrator Steve Yaney said. “They either approved them all or, at the time, I think there was one that was removed that was no longer necessary based on discussion at the meeting.”
Meijer sought nine variances, 11 sign deviations and a conditional use permit for a gas station at the previous meeting.
“At that time, there were some concerns with the site plan itself and with the look of the building and the review from the city architect and planning commission,” Yaney said. “At that point, Meijer and their architect were instructed to meet with myself and the city architect, Dominick Durante, and discuss the issues specifically.”
Meijer met with Yaney and Durante about two weeks ago and made some changes, as a result, Yaney said, adding both Durante and City Engineer Doug Courtney recommended the plans for approval.
Engineers Abby Jacobs and Brian Smallwood talked the planning commission through the revised plans.
“(The site plan is) generally a similar configuration to what we had presented last month,” Jacobs said. “The changes that we’ve made are along the west side of the building. We have narrowed that drive to make it one way entering and exiting the pharmacy drive-through.”
The one-way traffic still allows for truck access to the garden center, but will reduce potential vehicle conflicts with two-way traffic, she said.
“The other thing that that has allowed us to do is to increase the green space along the garden center knee wall to provide some additional plantings that we’ll discuss as part of the building architecture, as well,” Jacobs said, adding the variety of plant species has also been increased across the site.
In terms of architecture, Meijer worked with Durante on a compromise for the facade.
“What we’ve done is added a brick veneer to both the primary facade and the secondary facade — so, the main entrances and then the walls along Water Street,” Jacobs said.
The veneer provides a real brick look and allows for the articulation required by the city, she said, later noting there will be some color banding with the brick along the front facade.
Plans show additional planters and landscaping have been added along the primary facade to provide vertical articulation, as well as along the garden center knee wall.
The mExpress gas station had been modified in similar ways.
“Similar to the main store, we’ve added that brick veneer along the primary and secondary facades,” Jacobs said. “So, the Water-Street-facing and the Loreto-Drive-facing facades, (we) added that in-and-out articulation with the brick and some horizontal banding, as well.”
Vice-Chair Mary Jo Stark — chairing the meeting in commission member Andrew Blackley’s absence — said she was glad to see everything worked out for the better.
With no further questions, the commission approved the final development plan and architectural review unanimously.
The proposed Chardon Meijer has spurred tumultuous discussion on social media, with people expressing anger or questioning the concept.
“Chardon doesn’t need this,” read a Facebook comment by Kyle Mead on a Geauga Maple Leaf post about the supercenter.
“What does this bring to Chardon that Giant Eagle, Heinen’s, Aldi, Marc’s and Walmart don’t already provide to the community?” asked another Facebook user, Eva Merela Peseski.
Many others commented about the impact to traffic in the community.
“Traffic through and around Chardon is going to get so much worse. The current infrastructure can’t even handle the traffic volumes,” said commended Rachel Formica.
Despite the outpouring online, nobody in the audience spoke about Meijer during the public comment portion of the hearing.
In other business, the commission approved the lot split of an existing 26.2656-acre parcel at 367 Park Avenue into two new parcels, one 5.8794 acres and one 20.3862 acres. The location is where the new Chardon branch of the Geauga County Public Library is slated to go.
