The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
RockCity Sports seeks new site for courts
Planning Commission also considering private daycare for Hannah’s Home
Proposals for a new service at Hannah’s Home and an indoor sports facility in an industrial zone are up for review by Mentor Planning Commission this week.
The commission on July 30 will hold virtual public hearings on the following items:
• Conditional-use permit to allow a child daycare at 8525 Lakeshore Blvd. in the R-2 Single Family Residential District by Hannah’s Home
• Conditional-use permit to allow a recreational
facility at 8001 Moving Way in the M-2 Heavy Manufacturing District by RockCity Sports, LLC and Moving Solutions/Nest Egg, LLC
The sports facility would be housed in 24,000 square feet at the rear of the 143,368-square-foot Moving Solutions building at the end of Justin Way.
Dan Bezik of RockCity Sports proposes to operate a recreation and training facility with four volleyball courts and three pickleball courts.
The volleyball courts would be used on a mostly year-round basis to train and “house” Junior Olympic volleyball teams ages 10 to 18 and additional programming for ages 4 to 18.
“We have volleyball coaches who live and work in the local area and are coaches from high schools, including Mentor, Lake Catholic, Berkshire, Beaumont, Perry and Kirtland,” Bezik said. “We have had tremendous demand for our summer programs, including sand and indoor.
“Mentor is a great opportunity due to its location and ability to attract players from surrounding communities.”
Most programming for these activities would be held from 4 to 9 p.m., Mondays through Fridays and on weekends.
“We will conduct tournaments if additional overflow parking is adequate,” Bezik said.
The attendance at these tournaments could be 240 people, including teams and spectators.
Pickleball courts would be available at hours separate from volleyball activities and could start as early as 8 a.m. on weekdays and weekends.
Other future uses and activities may include yoga, kickboxing, karate, self-defense classes and personal training.
In addition, during the summer, “day” camps would be offered. The center would be staffed by two full-time employees and additional coaches and part-time staff.
In February, RockCity Sports received a conditional-use permit to allow a similar use in a 21,000-square-foot facility at 8820 East Ave in the M-1 Light Manufacturing District. However, a lease couldn’t be secured.
Bezik said a lease has been agreed upon for the new site, pending city approval.
The Mentor administration is recommending that the request be tabled at this time in order for the applicant to address the required number of parking spaces and parking lot upgrades needed, as well as a required building separation.
Hannah’s Home CUP
Hannah’s Home is proposing to operate a daycare within the existing residential facility, which serves single, young, pregnant women even after child delivery.
In 1999, it was issued a conditional-use permit to operate a school onsite.
The private daycare would be for the infants of mothers who currently live at the residence as well as the infants of alumnae.
The women in need of daycare services currently take their children to a facility offsite while they go to work or school. The director is pursuing a state license for the use.
The applicant does not anticipate caring for more than 10 children.
The Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. Those members of the public wishing to participate may attend via Webex with event number 129 270 0449/Password: 1234.