Village of Boston Heights Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee 45 E. Boston Mills Road Boston Hts.

., Ohio 44236 Phone 330.650.4111 or 330.656.2575 Fax 330.655.9578 Connecting Communities Planning Grant Application

1. Applicant/Sponsor (Implementing Governmental Agency Only).

Community/Agency Contact Person Phone Number Fax Number Email Address Mailing Address

Village of Boston Heights Michael A Bush, Chair of Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee 440-463-3481 330-655-9578 mabush@roadrunner.com 45 E. Boston Mills Road Boston Heights, Ohio 44236

2. Project Co-Sponsor

We have no co-sponsor for this project.

Village of Boston Heights Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee 45 E. Boston Mills Road Boston Hts., Ohio 44236 Phone 330.650.4111 or 330.656.2575 Fax 330.655.9578 Connecting Communities Planning Grant Application
3. Connecting Communities Planning Study

Planning Study Title

Village of Boston Height Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Plan The completion of the Rt. 8 project has created a prime area for economic development that includes the exchanges at Rt. 303, the Ohio Turnpike, Boston Mills Rd and Hines Hill Rd. This has created an urgent need for a comprehensive land use and transportation plan to assure that any development is respectful of the rural residential character of the Village and the preservation of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). Uncontrolled development of this area would result in significant traffic issues both local and regional. Good planning would allow for better vehicle movement, reduced congestion and improved bike access to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park for both the Village and the surrounding communities. The Village is small and could not responsibly undertake the creation of a professional plan without external assistance. 1. A comprehensive land use and transportation plan for the Village of Boston Heights. 2. An economic development plan for the Rt. 8 corridor running the entire north-south length of the Village and including exits at Rt. 303, the Ohio Turnpike, Boston Mills and Hines Hill Rd. 3. A bike / hike plan for the Village that creates access to the CVNP Towpath Trail and Metro Parks Bike & Hike Trail and that connects to the City of Hudsons trail network. 4. Develop a funding strategy to implement the plans.

Brief Description

Summary of Expected Final Product(s)

Village of Boston Heights Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee 45 E. Boston Mills Road Boston Hts., Ohio 44236 Phone 330.650.4111 or 330.656.2575 Fax 330.655.9578 Connecting Communities Planning Grant Application
4. Map of AMATS Connected Communities

Village of Boston Heights Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee 45 E. Boston Mills Road Boston Hts., Ohio 44236 Phone 330.650.4111 or 330.656.2575 Fax 330.655.9578 Connecting Communities Planning Grant Application
4. Map of Study Area

Village of Boston Heights Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee 45 E. Boston Mills Road Boston Hts., Ohio 44236 Phone 330.650.4111 or 330.656.2575 Fax 330.655.9578 Connecting Communities Planning Grant Application
5. Planning Area: The planning area for this study comprises the entire Village of Boston Heights. Boston Heights includes a total area of 6.9 square miles (~4400 acres) in the north-western part of the AMATS planning area, within Summit County. The village is bisected by the north-south Ohio State Route 8 freeway, and again by the east-west Interstate 80 Ohio Turnpike. Within the village, current zoning includes about 24% (~1000 acres) in an Economic Development Planning Area that requires special planning attention, as these projected commercial areas cluster around the interchanges of Rt. 8 and the Turnpike. The major interchange at these two highways has been vastly improved (for traffic flow, at least) with ODOT's recently-completed Route 8 limited-access upgrade project. Also within the village, about 29% (~1300 acres) is reserved green space, primarily portions of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, along with smaller existing and projected public park lands. About 47% (~2100 acres) is zoned Residential, or otherwise unavailable for economic development. Land Use Issues: The village faces a variety of land use issues in the near future, principally driven by two geographic factors: the interchange of two major highways squarely in the middle of town; and the juxtaposition of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). The newly-upgraded Rt. 8/Ohio Turnpike interchange, along with the other local Rt. 8 access within the village, presents an attractive factor for commercial development. In fact, the areas already zoned for various commercial uses cluster along the Rt. 8 corridor through the Village. Very little of this area is currently developed in any significant way, and developers have indicated that their interest will increase after the road project allows better access. However, geographic and topological conditions peculiar to specific areas of this Economic Development Planning call for a more nuanced planning discipline than zoning districts alone provide. Examples of such conditions include FEMA floodplain and other significant riparian issues within the Brandywine Creek watershed; limited water and sewer availability; limited road and bridge capacities; adjacent residential areas; use coordination (or conflicts) with neighboring communities. Transportation Issues: Practical commercial access to Rt. 8 has been greatly enhanced by the Rt. 8 upgrade project, as at-grade traffic signals have been replaced with limited-access ramps. Local access road capacities, however, remain much the same as before. Much of the Economic Development Planning Area is not well-served by existing roads at all. Both the frontage road and the new bridges over Route 8 at Hines Hill and Boston Mills have a fixed traffic capacity that is unlikely to be easily increased in the foreseeable future. Transportation planning must consider access to Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Metro Parks Bike & Hike Trail. Bicycle and pedestrian access to that trail within the village and adjacent communities is poor. Currently there is no specific plan for developing and paying for such bikeway links, whether as bike lanes or new trails. Even if immediate development is less than feasible, broad planning for such improvements is best carried out before other development makes it nearly impossible.

Village of Boston Heights Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee 45 E. Boston Mills Road Boston Hts., Ohio 44236 Phone 330.650.4111 or 330.656.2575 Fax 330.655.9578 Connecting Communities Planning Grant Application
6. Purpose of the study and expected outcomes; Purposes of the study include: a. Analyze all aspects of vehicular, bike, and pedestrian/hiking traffic in the Village of Boston Heights, to forecast and develop scenarios for all modes of traffic needed for future economic and residential development, and to prepare a plan that optimizes traffic management for all modes of transportation within the Village. Of particular concern will be the five interior traffic corridors, specifically the two north-south mixed traffic flows on Brandywine Road and Olde Eight (especially the latter at the intersection of Rt. 303), and the east-west transit routes of Rt. 303, Boston Mills Road, and Hines Hill Road. b. Explore potential uses for the undeveloped land within the Village, mainly along Hines Hill, Boston Mills, and Chittenden roads, to fully comprehend its potential for economic and residential development, the environmental impact created by such development, and the potential for joint project relationships with nearby business subdivisions in Hudson to the east along Rt. 303 and Boston Mills Road. Also, recommend an overall plan that balances economic development, environmental protection (especially for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the watershed along Brandywine Creek, and other wetlands), with the rural character of the community. c. Develop a master plan that will connect, physically and aesthetically, the residential, municipal, and economic areas of the Village and promote planned growth as opportunities present themselves. Expected Outcomes: a. Potential land use scenarios for the vacant land, especially along Hines Hill, Boston Mills, and Chittenden roads, having as goals the protection of the natural environment and the aesthetic rural character of the Village. b. A comprehensive transportation plan including solutions to manage current and projected future multimodal traffic flows within the Village. This plan would include recommended ways to increase access to existing Metro RTA bus service. The plan should include consideration of separation of vehicular traffic from bike and pedestrian movement, especially along the two north-south corridors and the three east-west corridors. These five corridors currently make no accommodations for other than motor vehicle traffic. The plan must address the needs of the bike and hiker safe movement along these five traffic corridors. c. A landscape / roadscape plan that promotes visitor and resident access to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) along the five transverse interior traffic routes and promotes CVNP access for traffic on Rt. 8 and I-80. This plan should also protect the rural character of the Village. d. Plans for the upgrading of older bridges (over I-80 on Olde Eight and over the Metro Parks Bike & Hike trail on Akron Cleveland Rd), and maintenance of new bridges in the recently completed upgrade of the I-80 and Rt. 8 corridors, in cooperation with Federal and State maintenance plans in these two corridors. The upgrade for the Olde Eight bridge across I-80 should safely accommodate safe transit of all modes of traffic including vehicles, bikes and pedestrian. Similar accommodations should be planned on Dean Memorial Parkway connecting Hines Hill and Boston Mills roads. The Dean Memorial Parkway and the Olde Eight bridges are the only viable points for non-motor vehicle traffic to cross I-80 from the south side of the Village to the north side. These two bridges also provide the primary emergency vehicle crossing points.

Village of Boston Heights Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee 45 E. Boston Mills Road Boston Hts., Ohio 44236 Phone 330.650.4111 or 330.656.2575 Fax 330.655.9578 Connecting Communities Planning Grant Application
7. Discuss how this study addresses the following three principles: This study is in support of the Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee (CZPC) Charter that was approved in 2009 by Village Council for the Village of Boston Heights, as follows: Develop a comprehensive land-use planning document providing a framework to the Village government to guide future legislation and policy decisions governing land-use patterns, management and preservation of natural resources, housing conditions, population densities, roadways, and other infrastructure issues that impact the Village of Boston Heights. Clearly articulate a comprehensive plan document for the Village of Boston Heights that reflects the ideal combination of affordable and pleasing housing, desirable recreational opportunities, abundant green spaces, broad scope of services, and desired commercial areas that are aesthetically pleasing and revenue producing. In furtherance of the CZPC Charter, the goals of the study are to: a. Provide more transportation choices: Roadways: The goal is to develop a roadway plan that balances the needs of automotive, pedestrian and bike traffic while maintaining the rural nature of the community and improve the quality of life for Village residents, workers and visitors. Public Transportation: The Metro RTA currently stops at the Clarion Inn and the Park & Ride lot in Boston Heights. A goal of the study is to determine if increased bus stops could decrease transportation cost for residents and employees that commute to/from downtown Cleveland or Akron. Bike: The goal of the plan is to develop a comprehensive bike lane / bike trail plan that affords residents easy access to the CVNP, the Metro Parks Bike & Hike Trails and connective to neighboring bike trails being developed by the City of Hudson. The recent CZPC committee survey ranked bike trails and bike lanes as the 2nd and 3rd most desired improvements. b. Enhance economic competitiveness Ready Access: The goal of the plan is to define zoning overlays or zoning districts that could be used to more clearly define the usage of the various properties that have ready access to and from Rt. 8 (at Rt. 303, the Ohio Turnpike, Boston Mills Rd, and Hines Hill Rd) that would maximize the economic benefit of the region while protecting the quality of life of the community. Mixed Use Development: The goal of the zoning overlay plan would be to encourage commercial development that reduces transportation costs while supporting and complementing other commercial development. One example is to design districts that contain a balance of small retail and service oriented businesses that support the needs of office / professional employees while reducing the distance traveled by residents in search of similar services. This mixed use approach was supported by the CZPC survey commercial land use question. Office / professional, small retail and service station ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd most desirable usage for property with ready access to Rt. 8. c. Support and value existing communities and neighborhoods Support Good Neighbor Policy: The plan would further refine the current Good Neighbor practices that encourage the gradual step down from highest density usage (closest to Rt. 8) to lowest density usage (closest to CVNP and residential). This would help to control traffic congestion, maintain the quality of life for residents and for neighboring communities (including the CVNP).

Village of Boston Heights Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee 45 E. Boston Mills Road Boston Hts., Ohio 44236 Phone 330.650.4111 or 330.656.2575 Fax 330.655.9578 Connecting Communities Planning Grant Application
8. Explain the publics involvement in the study. What residents or groups will be included and invited to provide input? In the charter that established the Village of Boston Heights Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee (CZPC) was a provision that the plan must be based upon input from Village residents that assures that all have an opportunity to express their expectations, hopes and dreams for the Village. As a first step the CZPC began the process of developing a comprehensive survey form that went through extensive revisions and field-testing over many months involving many different individuals. During the summer of 2009, the survey was mailed to all 463 Village residences. From these, 190 responses were received which is considered high in the survey literature. In addition, there was an opportunity for participants to expand with open-ended comments and to participate in focus discussions. The survey contained four parts: Part A: Quality of LifeCommunity improvements; Part B: Land Use o Development of property with ready access to State Route 8; o Residential Housing outside of State Route 8 corridor; Part C: FundingPaying for services; Part D: Additional Comments. The respondents were asked to rank the items provided in each question in terms of preference, providing a 1 for their highest preference, a 2 for their second, and so on. The data from each persons survey was then compiled into a large spreadsheet. Each response then received a weighting in accordance to its preference with a 1 having more weight than a 2 and so on. The final results were then scaled so that the item with the highest preference in each part received a ranking of 10, and so on. The results for Part A: Quality of Life indicated that Improving current park (e.g. larger playground, tennis court, improve pool) scored a 10 followed by a 9 for Constructing a feeder bicycle trail to main trail and a 9 for Providing bike/pedestrian lane on major roads. Results for Part B: Land Use (commercial) indicated a 10 for Office/Professional development followed by 8.5 for Small Retail development and 8.5 for Service Station development. Results for Part C: Funding indicated a 10 for Commercial Development followed by 5 for Income Tax and 3.5 for Property Tax.

Village of Boston Heights Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee 45 E. Boston Mills Road Boston Hts., Ohio 44236 Phone 330.650.4111 or 330.656.2575 Fax 330.655.9578 Connecting Communities Planning Grant Application
9a. How will your community plan to implement this planning study? Village zoning regulations and resident study feedback survey will be combined to create the Village of Boston Heights first Comprehensive Plan. The goal of a volunteer study group has been to craft a plan for the village that would combine current zoning regulations with resident desired goals of bike and hike availabilities linking residential enclaves in the village to neighboring trails and communities. Sustainability of this desired infrastructure would be supported by Rt. 8 corridor growth led by desirable commercial development with developer supported involvement. 9b. Describe potential funding sources that could be used for implementation. The Village of Boston Heights with a comprehensive plan in place would be able to present a unified program when applying for grants for infrastructure improvements such as bike and hike paths and roadway upgrades from local, state and federal sources. Possible sources for said grants are from Summit County programs, AMATS supported ODOT funding, Ohio Department of Development, and Clean Ohio grants. Partnering with Metro Parks of Summit County in trail reconstruction, such as the Akron Cleveland Bridge over the Bike & Hike Trail that is currently underway, can lead to further collaboration throughout the village once a comprehensive plan can be implemented. The Village Council has established a reserve fund to be used for future matching fund grant applications. In summary; The Village of Boston Heights is at the threshold of explosive commercial growth with the final completion of the Rt. 8 corridor project. Now is the time to develop a comprehensive plan for the Village. Any delay in the creation of this plan could result in long term issues for the Village and surrounding communities. The Connected Communities Planning Grant would enable the Village to obtain professional guidance to accelerate the planning process.

The Comprehensive Zoning Plan Committee of the Village of Boston Heights would like to recognize the Village of Richfield, and especially Mayor Michael Lyons, for cooperation and assistance in preparing this planning grant proposal.