CLEVELAND — Zoning laws, code changes — all of it can be confusing, to say the least.
But updating the outdated residential zoning for Cuyahoga County’s first ring suburbs is a priority for the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission.
“We want to see new housing options for new sizes and types of families,” said Patrick Hewitt, planning manager with the CCPC. “And we want to see that increase in tax base, especially in places where we already have infrastructure we’re paying for.”
Right now, there are 4,000 plots of what’s called ‘infill housing’ available in Cuyahoga County.
That means vacant one-off plots to build a single-family home — not big swaths to put up brand new developments like you may see in Lorain or Lake County.
“There’s no question that Cuyahoga County is a great place to live, but people want new and innovative housing and you have to be responsive to the market,” said Dennis Roberts, director of real estate development with the Cuyahoga Land Bank.
The 19 "first-ring suburbs" are made up of cities like Lakewood and Fairview Park on the west side, Euclid and the heights on the east, Parma and Berea to the south.
While some of those communities have updated their residential zoning laws over the years, others are stuck in the 1940s, 50s, or 60s. South Euclid, for example, hasn’t really reviewed theirs comprehensively since 1969.
“Unfortunately, how our zoning code is written, it can make new construction tough,” explained Michael Love, planning & development director for the City of South Euclid.
One example is a new build on a lot that sat vacant for more than a decade and required numerous variances to become reality. It was purchased by the Cuyahoga Land Bank and is now being built into a single-story bungalow.
Zoning challenges like this are why Euclid and South Euclid are part of a new pilot project, teaming up with the planning commission to revamp their code by the end of the year.
The end goal? Answering this question: “How do we make it easier for a developer or builder to come into our community and build in these smaller one-off lots but still make a home that’s attractive to our neighbors?” said Jennifer Kuzma, director of the First Suburbs Consortium.
Since the Cuyahoga Land Bank was created in 2009, after the Great Recession, they’ve demolished more than 9,300 vacant homes.
With the housing market so hot and inventory so low, now comes the time to build back up.
For the Land Bank, that means 21 new construction homes already sold, and another 15 that are currently being built.
“Essentially what we’re looking to do is go into markets that, with the Land Bank’s time, talent and treasure, will tip it in a way that will cause private developers to come into that same market and invest their money,” Roberts explained.
Because at the end of the day, the idea is to give people newer housing with modern amenities like first-floor living and open floor plans in already-established neighborhoods.
“Because it brings new people, new investment into communities that we already know people already live in and love,” Hewitt said.
The full zoning analysis can be viewed by clicking here.
