Pleased to see development is thoughtful

When you’ve got 200 acres of undeveloped land in the heart of Mentor, there’s no shortage of people who want to tell you what to do with it — whether that’s people who think it should remain as is or people who think every inch of it should be cleared to make way for retail.

Just ask Charles P. Bolton. His family’s land at 8021 Center St. is one of the last large undeveloped tracts in the city.

That is likely to change in the near future. But it certainly seems that the family is going about the process thoughtfully.

Members of the Bolton family recently met with city officials to notify them of the possibility for their land at 8021 Center St.

A letter submitted to the city by Charles P. Bolton explained the thought process behind the move.

“We often receive inquiries about potential uses for our Mentor property,” it reads. “My brother’s and my family own over 200 acres in Mentor and Kirtland Hills. It has been a cherished family farm since our great-grandparents originally purchased property here in 1910, surrounded by the neighboring farms of their relatives and friends.

“Much has changed in Mentor since then, and even during my time growing up here and since I brought my wife, Julie, home over 40 years ago. My father kept the farm despite the fact that Interstate 90 was built through it. We held on to it after an exit was built off of 90, taking some of the property, after Center Street was widened taking more of it, and after Newell Creek was developed across the street.

“The Cleveland Clinic’s announcement heralding a new hospital directly across the street with 24-hour Urgent Care plus helicopter service has convinced us that it is finally time to plan for the future of the property in the Mentor of today.”

Bolton said in 2017 that he was keeping a close eye on the Cleveland Clinic project and the family was considering its options. In February, the health system’s CEO announced that work would begin this year on a hospital on the site.

“Our first step was to engage the Western Reserve Land Conservancy to help us contemplate how to preserve most of our woodland area, including the very old and important trees in our forest, forever,” Bolton said in the letter. “We are engaging several consultants to take a look at various options for the remainder of the land with the help of Mentor City officials.”

City officials are also pleased with this early process.

“We have had discussion with his team and it seems his interest is bringing a high quality development to the city that will also preserve a large portion of the acreage as a conserved area,” said City Manager Ken Filipiak. “We are pleased to hear this and are anxious to see a preliminary design.”

The Boltons have not sold to a developer.

“We are just studying for the future of the property. We recognize that it is no longer very suitable as a family farm,” Bolton said.

The property is located in a C-1 Conservation zoning district which allows for one house per 5 acres, and any zoning change of lands from C-1 to any other must be approved by a majority of Mentor voters.

The possibilities of what could be done on the property are exciting, and we’re thrilled that the early plans put a focus on the balance between conservation and development.

“We hope very much that our ultimate result will be an asset of which both our family and the residents of Mentor can be proud. We will keep the community informed of our plans as they progress.”

We can’t wait.