The “for sale” sign at the northeast corner SOM Center and Aurora roads should be coming down soon, as Chase Bank closes on its purchase for a branch on the site of the old Sunoco gas station.
SOLON, Ohio — The city’s plans to improve the intersection at SOM Center and Aurora Road will play a big part in the design of a Chase bank branch on the old Sunoco gas station property.
And with that in mind, the Solon Planning Commission has recommended approval of the site plan, along with about eight variances that figure in with the “very tight site,” as the bank’s architect Galabet noted.
It even got a little smaller as the city took some of the existing property at the northeast corner of Routes 43 and 91 for road widening.
“We will work with the city on the roadway improvements,” said architect Timothy Meseck from Chicago. “And, anticipating the redesign of the intersection was obviously a major component of what we are proposing.”
That will include moving the two access points as far away from the intersection of Routes 43 and 91 as feasible, as well as development a “cross-access easement” that would utilize the neighboring Pizza Hut driveway even further down on Aurora.
“We are aware of the roadway improvements and agree with them,” Meseck told the Planning Commission Jan. 24, although he added that “it does limit the redevelopment of that parcel.”
Like the First National Bank going in across Aurora Road at the old Dairy Queen site, city officials believe that banks provide the best use for an “extremely challenging site,” as Mayor Susan Drucker called it.
She cited access, closeness to the intersection, size of the lot, the remediation unit still onsite to monitor groundwater as a result of the underground gas tanks, and the city taking additional property.
“This is the best use of the site because of those challenges,” Drucker said, also thanking Chase and The Architects Partnership, Ltd. in their design of a building that has appeal from all directions on “one of the most visible corners in all of Solon.”
Planning Commission member William Mazur asked about the future of the “gray shack” used for on-site remediation of the gas station that operated from 1973 to 2009 — as required by the federal Bureau of Underground Storage Tank Regulations (BUSTR).
Meseck said the shack will be removed and the groundwater monitoring wells will be accessed from the parking lot.
As for the roughly 3,500 square foot bank branch, Chase plans 35 parking spaces, two drive-through ATMs at the rear of the building but no teller window for cars.
And while Chase was trying to go with as few variances as possible, city officials suggested more, including a reduction of green space, with an eye on traffic concerns.
Chase has also changed the internal traffic pattern to the “clockwise” direction, with a right-turn-only in and out onto SOM Center Road.
“In the future, when cross access becomes possible (with Pizza Hut), we will close the full access point on Aurora Road,” Meseck added.
The ATMs were also put on the back of the building at the city’s request, with the bank fronting onto Aurora Road for walk-in customers.
Chase is purchasing the property, which at one time was sought by McDonald’s for a drive-through location that city officials worried would cause too much traffic congestion in an already busy area.
The proposal will be presented to City Council on Monday (Feb. 6), as will a minimum square footage variance request from Ezov Development Group, LLC, for a sports training facility at 5855 Harper Road.
Representative Jordan Berns told the Planning Commission that Spider’s Baseball occupied a 9,600 square foot space before splitting the space last year with Renzi Gymnastics.
As a result, both sports training operations are now under the minimum 8,000 square foot requirement by the city.
In 2014, Ezov purchased then renovated the “flex-space” complex on the east side of Harper in 2014.
“We are anxious to put in a long-term tenant, and when a better tenant comes along, (Spider and Renzi) will have to find other space,” Berns said. “But this is a way for them to share the space.”
Responding to a question from Mazur, Berns noted that there is a call center operating in another section of the complex.
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