Meanwhile, over near Uptown Solon, work is continuing on the addition of more game room and party space at Freeway Lanes. Tom Jewell/Special to cleveland.com
SOLON, Ohio — After approving a slew of zoning variances, City Council congratulated various department managers in paving the way for Chase Bank to build on the old Sunoco site.
“Patience has paid off in the case of the Sunoco property,” Vice Mayor Bill Russo said Monday (Feb. 6), referring to a relatively low-impact and low-usage business on the northeast corner of SOM Center and Aurora roads.
Council members Ed Kraus, Nancy Meany and Bob Pelunis also commended City Planning Director Rob Frankland and Economic Development Manager Peggy Weil Dorfman for their efforts in bringing Chase to town.
Kraus remembered “the McDonald’s debate” in 2010, when council was approached about putting a fast-food franchise on that corner, something they decided was just too much traffic volume for the intersection to handle.
“It’s a challenging site, in terms of ingress and egress,” Kraus said. “At the end of the day, this may be the best use for that site, because with banking we’re not going to have the density, use and traffic like a McDonald’s would.”
Kraus said the same marketing strategy applied to the old Dairy Queen site across Aurora Road, where the city has allowed First National Bank to build.
“Banks are good uses and businesses, not only for our residents, but also for the 25,000 people who work in this town and can go do their banking at lunch,” Kraus said.
Council also approved an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation Monday that will allow the $3.3 million SOM-Aurora intersection improvement project to move forward this construction season.
Officials hope to get bids awarded by the end of June, with construction getting under way by late summer or early fall, with the city’s share estimated at $1.7 million.
The project will add a southbound lane on SOM Center (Route 91) which will eliminate the existing split-phase left-turn and through lane.
There will also be an additional right-turn lane from westbound Aurora (Route 43) onto northbound SOM — right past the new Chase Bank — that will allow for two westbound through lanes, City Engineer John Busch noted.
Pelunis also introduced legislation awarding a $47,200 design contract to Burgess & Niple for the re-facing of the SOM Center retaining wall under the abandoned Norfolk & Southern railroad tracks going past City Hall.
The estimated cost on that project is $368,000 and construction is also expected to take place later this year.
That work calls for a thin brick veneer facing on the existing walls, installation of a concrete cap on top of the walls, as well as removal of the existing fencing at the top and replacement with standard city fencing.
“It should be a very nice addition to the center of town,” Pelunis said.
Mayor Susan Drucker announced the Solon Rotary Club’s Police Officer and Firefighter of the Year, congratulating Officer Bill DiGiovanni and PM/FF Marc Svoboda, respectively.
Drucker said the city is “absolutely thrilled” that Nestle is moving 321 jobs to Solon, noting that while many are considered “relocations,” there should also be some new employment opportunities presenting themselves locally.
In other business, council also accepted the donation of 96 pet waste dispensers with bags, with an estimated retail value of $770, from the Mazel Company on Aurora Road.
It’s all part of the city’s “Too Cute to Pollute” campaign to educate residents on the effects of pet waste on the environment and the benefits of cleaning up after them.
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