February 13, 20178 yr Austin Considers Zoning for a More Transit-Friendly Downtown | @nextcity – https://t.co/SqrMjdTRoG "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 1, 20187 yr Extremely weird how loosening parking requirements is reducing Minneapolis rents and resulting in more midrise, non-luxury development, as if codes or some crap dictate design: https://t.co/RqUroEfZQC "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 25, 20187 yr F--- yeah! Can we also get rid of parking minimums and replace with parking maximums?? March 25, 2018 4:00 am Cleveland plan could reduce zoning 'hodgepodge' By STAN BULLARD Nothing seems more byzantine about designing and developing buildings in downtown Cleveland than navigating the city's zoning code governing their potential heights. A patchwork of 67 different districts for building heights throughout downtown will be reduced to three under legislation updating zoning of the Central Business District that is pending before Cleveland City Council. Cleveland City Planning Director Fred Collier told council's planning and development committee last Tuesday, March 20, that the measure "cleans things up a bit" from the current system put in place since the city's zoning code was enacted in 1929. "At the end of the day, 67 (height) districts creates a hodgepodge," Collier said. "As you all know, we want to streamline the process." MORE: http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20180325/news/155931/cleveland-plan-could-reduce-zoning-hodgepodge "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 26, 20187 yr I'm ecstatic the city is taking zoning more seriously. The article doesn't mention it, but I assume they're looking at area districts and mapped setbacks as well, besides just height? F--- yeah! Can we also get rid of parking minimums and replace with parking maximums?? Downtown has no parking minimums, which I'm sure was a boon to all the historic rehabs. We'll see how influential parking becomes as we get more new construction. IMO, neighborhood retail seems to have the biggest problem with parking minimums. Changes here would be a good place to start, as many rehabbed storefronts have little to no off-street parking.
March 26, 20187 yr Downtown has no parking minimums, which I'm sure was a boon to all the historic rehabs. We'll see how influential parking becomes as we get more new construction. IMO, neighborhood retail seems to have the biggest problem with parking minimums. Changes here would be a good place to start, as many rehabbed storefronts have little to no off-street parking. Chris Ronayne has had to push the envelope with parking minimums in University Circle. He was able to get a variance for the new CIA dorms on Euclid Ave approved by BZA by stating that the dorms will share parking with nearby lots/garages (ie The Triangle, new Centric development, etc). Otherwise parking would have been required for the dorms and increased its development costs significantly AND unnecessarily. How many CIA students actually have cars?? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 27, 20187 yr Zoning modifications approved by @CleCityCouncil on Monday will raise height limits for areas in and near downtown #CLE, boost potential value of historic easements. #CRE Part of broader effort to clean up antiquated code. https://t.co/o51B5GRX1G "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 27, 20187 yr Very interesting that the Weston lots were included in the 900-foot height district, even though Weston has no plans for a building that high. Their tallest proposed building is 37 stories which probably maxes out in the low-400s. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 27, 20187 yr Interesting that the Flats is part of the 175-foot district, when Scott Wolstein wants a 20-story apartment building there. Assuming the story heights will be similar to the 20-story One University Circle which is either 210 feet tall (per https://www.urbanohio.com/forum/index.php/topic,29204.msg775911.html#msg775911) or 234 feet (per Emporis and mjarboe[/member]). Either way, if Wolstein wants to build it, he will need a variance. Same deal if Joel Scheer wants to build his high-rise residential building next to the old Sammy's on West 10th. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 27, 20187 yr Stark would need a variance for NuCLEus also, assuming he hasn't been through zoning yet.
March 27, 20187 yr Very interesting that the Weston lots were included in the 900-foot height district, even though Weston has no plans for a building that high. Their tallest proposed building is 37 stories which probably maxes out in the low-400s. I'd say 37 floors is more like 420' these days if it's office space (11' floor to floor, 15'20' first floor, tall-ish parapet wall to block HVAC)
March 27, 20187 yr Same deal if Joel Scheer wants to build his high-rise residential building next to the old Sammy's on West 10th. Sheer's building along West 10th is included in the 600 foot limit (K6 to be exact). http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/mc/pdf/MC2580-Public-Notification.pdf
March 27, 20187 yr I'd say 37 floors is more like 420' these days if it's office space (11' floor to floor, 15'20' first floor, tall-ish parapet wall to block HVAC) So low-400s, like I said. Sheer's building along West 10th is included in the 600 foot limit (K6 to be exact). http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/mc/pdf/MC2580-Public-Notification.pdf Thankfully I'm going to my optometrist tomorrow. :-[ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 29, 20187 yr Is this just a long overdue cleanup or could it have been somewhat preemptive for a particular development(s)?
April 1, 20187 yr Is this just a long overdue cleanup or could it have been somewhat preemptive for a particular development(s)? Or developmentS? From my experience of covering Cleveland City Hall, they are usually so preoccupied with the here and now that they don't think preemptively or comprehensively. Unless they have been gotten a new religion, they typically react in response to something. If this is being done in response to something, I don't think that one building project would justify this. It would have to be more than one. I suspect someone on this board knows what's driving this. Feel free PM me if I'm off-base or not. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 1, 20187 yr I wonder how they came up with the heights for each zone? Why 900' and not 1000'? You would think they would go over with the heights so developers would NOT have to ask for a variance.
April 1, 20187 yr Zoning modifications approved by @CleCityCouncil on Monday will raise height limits for areas in and near downtown #CLE, boost potential value of historic easements. #CRE Part of broader effort to clean up antiquated code. https://t.co/o51B5GRX1G Why would they limit the highest level to such a tiny area of Downtown? Any explanation for that?
April 2, 20187 yr If we want to increase the height, we would need developers who would want to do so. They would surely update the code if we had more of a demand to expand vertically. Unfortunately we have one project that is willing to break it, and it's definitely going to cost stark on NuCLEus building above 600'. That's one thing I don't understand on this new revision. You want the building to be built but you're also restrict the height limit. Seems legit...
April 11, 20187 yr Never thought I'd see this on the BZA agenda! http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/bza/agenda/2018/crr04-23-2018.pdf 9:30 Calendar No. 18-77: 3245 West 61 Street Ward 3 Kerry McCormack 19 Notices Lindsay Perez, owner, proposes to keep a miniature horse on a 5,000 square foot lot in a B1 Two Family Residential District. The owner appeals for relief from the strict application of the following sections of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances: 1. Section 345.03©(17) which states that keeping of horses is first permitted in a Semi-Industry District. 2. Section 347.02©(3) which states that no horses shall be kept on a property except in areas specifically designated for keeping such animals. (Files April 2, 2018) "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 12, 20187 yr Witnessing Hartford rezoning process was fascinating and tbh inspiring. Deserves skepticism (doubt upzoning is what it takes to "revitalize" anything...) but still interesting. "Hartford, Connecticut, is a prime example of how a complete overhaul of a city's outdated zoning codes can breathe new life into America's post-industrial cities" http://www.law.uh.edu/news/spring2018/0412Bronin.asp "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 10, 20187 yr Why do we make it illegal to build the neighborhoods Americans love most? http://cityobservatory.org/we_love_illegal_neighborhoods/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 30, 20187 yr Saw this on CPC's website. How long has this been posted? Is it new? **Form Based Code RFP** The City of Cleveland is accepting proposals from accomplished consultants to lead the development process for Cleveland's new Form-Based Zoning Code (FBC).Download PDF http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/assets/Cleveland_Form_Based_Code_RFP.pdf "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 30, 20187 yr KJP[/member] - The pdf file has today's date on it, so I guess brand new. I have heard Freddy Collier, the planning director, speak before about form-based codes as an aspiration for the city, but he cited the political difficulty. This is good news.
May 30, 20187 yr That's huge news. It would be nice to see real progress on updating the zoning code in our lifetimes.
May 30, 20187 yr Zoning modifications approved by @CleCityCouncil on Monday will raise height limits for areas in and near downtown #CLE, boost potential value of historic easements. #CRE Part of broader effort to clean up antiquated code. https://t.co/o51B5GRX1G Why would they limit the highest level to such a tiny area of Downtown? Any explanation for that? Why 900'? Why not "as tall as you want"?
May 30, 20187 yr ^I was just thinking the same thing. However, I'd actually prefer more density via 450-700' buildings than a 950' building an empty patches in our skyline
May 30, 20187 yr At what height do FAA regulations come into play? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 30, 20187 yr At what height do FAA regulations come into play? For most of the CBD the FAA will not have an issue unless we're talking the tallest Dubai level heights. Even then I think aircraft could clear a super tall building on the 24L/R approaches to Hopkins. The immediate lakefront north of the Shoreway would have FAA issues due to Burke. Of course, post 9/11, if a developer builds a signature building that is head and shoulders above all the others in Cleveland there may be a concern about terrorism.
May 30, 20187 yr At what height do FAA regulations come into play? AmrapinVA[/member] I'm in agreement with most of what you said, but don't FAA regs, in general terms, come into play with anything over 400'?
May 30, 20187 yr ^Not my area of expertise, but pretty sure the FAA defines space in relation to runways that structures can't penetrate. So in the direct flight path, structures are limited to heights much lower than 400', and far from the flight path, I doubt there's any practical limitation. This issue came up recently with the proposed Cumberland lakefront development.
May 30, 20187 yr At what height do FAA regulations come into play? AmrapinVA[/member] I'm in agreement with most of what you said, but don't FAA regs, in general terms, come into play with anything over 400'? Yes. FAA will also take a special look because Cleveland's CBD is near the Hopkins 24L/R approaches. Will they have an issue? No, unless it's super tall. Cleveland's CBD already has some pretty tall existing structures.
May 30, 20187 yr At what height do FAA regulations come into play? AmrapinVA[/member] I'm in agreement with most of what you said, but don't FAA regs, in general terms, come into play with anything over 400'? Yes. FAA will also take a special look because Cleveland's CBD is near the Hopkins 24L/R approaches. Will they have an issue? No, unless it's super tall. Cleveland's CBD already has some pretty tall existing structures. The floor of Cleveland's Class B airspace over downtown is 2,200 feet MSL, which is approximately 1500 feet AGL. Should any mega tower be built, ATC would continue to route the inbound traffic the same way, which is typically just to the north of the shoreline.
May 30, 20187 yr At what height do FAA regulations come into play? AmrapinVA[/member] I'm in agreement with most of what you said, but don't FAA regs, in general terms, come into play with anything over 400'? Yes. FAA will also take a special look because Cleveland's CBD is near the Hopkins 24L/R approaches. Will they have an issue? No, unless it's super tall. Cleveland's CBD already has some pretty tall existing structures. The floor of Cleveland's Class B airspace over downtown is 2,200 feet MSL, which is approximately 1500 feet AGL. Should any mega tower be built, ATC would continue to route the inbound traffic the same way, which is typically just to the north of the shoreline. This is all true. The agency would just study the lateral approach distance of Burj Cleveland/Progressive/Sherwin Williams. :) I guess when I said "clear" a building earlier it sounded like I was talking vertical but I meant they study all angles in case of an aircraft malfunction on approach. The 24L/R approaches are close enough to the CBD for agency concern.
February 26, 20196 yr http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2019/03012019/index.php Cleveland Planning Commission Agenda for March 1, 2019 ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVALS Ordinance No. 200-2019(Citywide - Introduced by Councilmembers Brancatelli and Kelley by departmental request): Authorizing the Director of City Planning to enter into one or more contracts with Code Studio for professional services necessary to develop and implement Form-Based Zoning protocols in up to three pilot geographic areas of the City; and to extend the term of the Cleveland Foundation grant authorized by Ordinance No. 297-18, passed April 2, 2018. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 26, 20196 yr "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 26, 20196 yr That latter pic would be more common if we had alleys in more areas. They are pretty uncommon through most of Cleveland.
June 24, 20195 yr Cleveland....still talking. Not enough doing..... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 17, 20195 yr 6 hours ago, freethink said: https://thelandcode.com/ That's great to see. But I'm sure the tinfoil hat crowd will find something to fear/hate about it. Those historical photos of the Lake/Detroit intersection are sad. I'll share them in the photo section.... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
November 1, 20195 yr On 5/30/2018 at 11:14 AM, Cleburger said: The floor of Cleveland's Class B airspace over downtown is 2,200 feet MSL, which is approximately 1500 feet AGL. Should any mega tower be built, ATC would continue to route the inbound traffic the same way, which is typically just to the north of the shoreline. Cleveland is fortunate enough to have CLE far enough away from downtown so as not to impact building heights. San Diego and Miami are challenged in that regard. In Miami, that's the reason most of the tallest high-rises are ligned up along Biscayne Blvd. and Bayshore. As you move west, towards the MIA runways, major height restrictions kick in. Edited November 1, 20195 yr by Frmr CLEder
February 18, 20205 yr On 6/23/2019 at 9:24 PM, KJP said: Cleveland....still talking. Not enough doing..... Speaking of form-based coding: City of Cleveland piloting project to improve outdated zoning practices for more walkable neighborhoods CLEVELAND — The city of Cleveland is piloting a project to move toward “form-based coding” to update the city's zoning practices. Retail and restaurants and housing, all mixed together. These photos indicate the way the intersection at West 75th Street and Detroit Avenue used to look back in the early 1920s. https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/originals/city-of-cleveland-piloting-project-to-improve-outdated-zoning-practices-for-more-walkable-neighborhoods Edited February 18, 20205 yr by MuRrAy HiLL
March 28, 20214 yr PD architecture writer @steven_litt examines the debate over Cleveland's townhouse code. The city is considering tweaks to 2018 language, but the local AIA chapter is asking for a full repeal and replacement. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2021/03/critics-want-cleveland-to-replace-zoning-code-allowing-controversial-oversized-townhouses-slot-houses.html "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 28, 20214 yr Sounds like there are some legitimate, but outdated concerns with the zoning code (excess curb cuts and sidewalk facing garages) that are being used to try to get the NIMBY's back in charge of things. And Litt's language, ie "townhouses crammed onto lots", is definitely skewed in favor of keeping Cleveland from embracing urban development.
March 29, 20214 yr Litt was clearly leaning towards the anti townhouse development crowd. When someone is on the same side of the discussion as David Ellison they need to reevaluate their position.
October 13, 20213 yr Good thread. I’m pretty sure Matt is on Cleveland’s city planning staff. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
August 16, 20222 yr I'm not certain this is the correct thread, but I think it is.... Nonetheless, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that a home owned by your LLC cannot be your primary residence, correct? Because there's a local developer that lives full time in a home owned by his development's LLC
August 16, 20222 yr I don't know the answer to your primary question but if true, couldn't the developer get around such a restriction by simply paying rent to the LLC. The rent would probably have to be similar to market rents negotiated at arms length. Probably does not make sense except for a short term situation even if the LLC is earning income from the rental, especially depending on the tax situation of the LLC.
August 16, 20222 yr 9 minutes ago, YABO713 said: I'm not certain this is the correct thread, but I think it is.... Nonetheless, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that a home owned by your LLC cannot be your primary residence, correct? Because there's a local developer that lives full time in a home owned by his development's LLC I would think that the individual could be a tenant of the property owned by the LLC. I'm not sure though
August 16, 20222 yr 45 minutes ago, Htsguy said: I don't know the answer to your primary question but if true, couldn't the developer get around such a restriction by simply paying rent to the LLC. The rent would probably have to be similar to market rents negotiated at arms length. Probably does not make sense except for a short term situation even if the LLC is earning income from the rental, especially depending on the tax situation of the LLC. Yes - except in this situation, these homes are not eligible to rent, due to HOA restrictions
Create an account or sign in to comment