Medina approves zoning change to allow apartments at The Walsh
Photo by Tom Rivers: The village will amend its zoning map so residential dwellings are allowed in the upper floors at The Walsh.
MEDINA – The Village Board has approved a zoning change for The Walsh to allow residential dwellings at 525 West Ave.
The board approved a zoning map change to extend the central business overlay district to include The Walsh. That site is currently in the general business district which doesn’t allow residential dwellings.
The Village Board agreed to allow extend central business overlay district, which ended only one site away. Mayor Mike Sidari said extending the overlay isn’t spot zoning.
Rollin Hellner, the new owner of The Walsh, would like to develop six to eight studio or one-bedroom apartments. The Village Planning Board will review the project on both the second and third floors, and Hellner will need a special use permit on a case by case basis which will allow the village to have oversight and input on those units, said Dan Gardner, the village code enforcement officer.
In other action at Monday’s board meeting:
• The board accepted the resignation of Mark Prawel, who is retiring after 16 years as a Medina police officer. In a letter to the board, he thanked the community for the opportunity to serve as a police officer. He wants to spend more time with his family and with an outo repair business.
His retirement leaves Medina with only eight officers on the force right now out of 13 positions. Some new recruits are in the police academy but won’t be covering shifts for another six months, Chief Chad Kenward said.
• The board followed a recommendation from Fire Chief Matt Jackson to increase the rates to have an ambulance staffed for events. Medina has been charged $300 for a four-hour commitment to have an ambulance with two medics at events, such as football games and other sporting events. The charge has then been another $75 per hour.
The new rates are $350 for four hours, and then another $100 per hour.
