GOODBYE MILL TAVERN, HELLO MEGA GAS STATION?

I didn’t arrive in time to attend the Committee of the Whole meeting held before last week’s Council meeting.

The first item on the agenda caught my attention” “True North Proposal”.

I don’t know the details, but one source told me that the discussion centered on a plan to transform the small 8 pump Shell gas station at the northwest corner of Bishop and Wilson Mills Roads into a large mega gas station.

Here we go again.....

 There are only two options for expansion, and my source indicated that the plan involved razing the small strip building fronting Wilson Mills.

Bye Bye Mill Tavern…McNulty Roofing, Biagio’s Deli, Zeppe’s Pizza and all the other businesses that operate out of that building.

So let's see.

We are supposed to get excited about a plan that involves throwing out a bunch of small local business employers and embrace a mega-gas station that most likely will be staffed by a bunch of part-time, minimum wage workers.
Who knows what the impact on the city's income tax revenue will be.

That’s economic development?

VOTERS WILL HAVE TO SAY YES

Although it currently operates as a gas station, the Shell/TrueNorth property is not actually zoned for gas station use.
It’s zoned as local business.

The 8 pumps are “grandfathered”—allowed to stay because they pre-existed the local business zoning.

Legally, grandfathered uses cannot be expanded.

That means the owners will have to put a zoning issue on the ballot, seeking voter-approval to change the zoning to Motor Service use.

Which is why, apparently, it was on the agenda.

The easiest way to get a zoning issue on the ballot is to get Council to agree to put it there.

Here we go again.

DEJA VUE

Does all this all sound familiar?

It should.

Think the mega GetGo gas station Giant Eagle tried to install on the southeast corner of  Brainard and Wilson Mills Roads a couple of years ago.

It’s the same deal.

And I have to wonder.
Developer Lance Osborne said at the time that Giant Eagle is extremely anxious to put a big GetGo gas station in this area.

Do you suppose Giant Eagle has a side deal with TrueNorth?

PROTEST ALONG WILSON MILLS

If you are wondering why you see police tape around the tall pine trees that front the residential lot immediately west of the Mill Tavern, and what’s up with the handmade sign addressed to East Ohio Gas...

I have the answer

The gas company is replacing gas lines along major roads in the area.
They completed work along Highland Road this spring.

Next up: Bishop/Brainard Road and Wilson Mills Road.

The company’s easement crosses the residential lot in question, and the property owners are obviously concerned that their trees will be lost.

WILD KINGDOM

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District has gotten back on track after winning the lawsuit that challenged the new stormwater management fees that it imposed on its customers.

One thing on their list: cleaning out the large water detention basin north of Hawthorne Drive.
A major stream, part of the Euclid Creek watershed, runs through the basin.
It plays a significant role during storms, holding water and releasing it slowly downstream.
Hence the cleanup, to enhance the basin’s water-holding capacity.

Hawthorne is surrounded by undeveloped woodland.

Lots of wild critters live in the woods.

It turns out that some lived in the basin as well.

The night after the cleanout, I encountered a large strange-looking animal lying dead next to the road.

It wasn’t a possum. It wasn’t a groundhog.

It was a beaver.

Yep, a beaver had made its home in the basin.
It was evicted, unfortunately with fatal results.

No, I didn't take a picture.
This gives you an idea of what the critter looked like

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