Medina council rejects rezoning, opts to pursue C‑1 text amendment to allow proposed development

Council members discussed two ways to allow a proposed commercial project on two Medina parcels: rezone both sites from C‑1 to the more intensive C‑3 classification, or add specific conditional uses to the C‑1 zoning text.

Staff described the options and noted there are only 19 C‑1 parcels citywide, most already developed. Council expressed concern that rezoning to C‑3 could permit more intensive uses elsewhere; a text amendment to add conditional uses would require planning‑commission review before any other C‑1 property could use the same allowance.

During public comment and council discussion, a resident and council members raised traffic concerns at the nearby Abbeville/Route 18 corridor, particularly around school drop‑off congestion. Staff and council replied that site access will be off Liberty and that whether a traffic study is required will be determined at the site‑plan stage.

Applicant Kaylee said construction timing is critical. “I have to break ground in July to keep things moving and not experience several 100,000 in delays of sales,” she said, urging the council to minimize schedule disruptions.

Councilmember Reggie moved to approve rezoning from C‑1 to C‑3. The motion was seconded and put to a vote; the motion failed. Council directed staff to start the C‑1 text‑amendment process and to bring the matter back through the planning commission and council on the expedited schedule so the project can proceed through site‑plan review and permit issuance in mid‑May.

Next steps: staff will take a proposed text amendment and the site‑plan review to the planning commission and return to council for readings and final action; the applicant was told May site‑plan review should allow permitting soon after.