Specialty grocery proposed on Sawyer House site

Preliminary plan up for review this week

A new business is proposed on the site of the Sawyer House in Mentor.

Dave Sambor of Richfield-based RARE Design Studio, on behalf of developer ABC Mentor LLC, proposes a 13,633-square-foot specialty grocery store in its place.

The Mentor Planning Commission will review the preliminary site plan for the project at its Nov. 12 meeting.

The 1843 building, at 9470 Mentor Ave., has sat vacant since 2016, when the Local Tavern closed.

“While it is unfortunate that the Sawyer House structure will be removed under this development plan, it is clear through past investigation that the structure itself is severely dilapidated and few suitors that have looked at this site have sought to save the building,” Mentor Economic Development Director Kevin Malecek said. “They have found it is just not cost-effective or feasible. We fully expect that the

citizens of the city of Mentor will welcome and embrace the new tenant for the location, and we expect an announcement on that very soon.”

As part of this redevelopment project, the western property line will be adjusted to give additional land to the adjoining owner, in exchange for the elimination of the interconnecting access drives to the property.

With these adjustments, the adjoining property will receive a wider access lane and additional parking spaces on both the east side and rear of the property.

“The City is aware of the traffic concerns that this redevelopment project presents and is in the process of evaluating the installation of a traffic signal and additional traffic management in front of the site,” says the city planning staff in a report to the commission.

“Any traffic i mprovements proposed will be contingent on the project moving forward.”

A stormwater detention basin is proposed in the southwest corner of the site. There are 20 parking spaces on the east side of the basin with no curbing or other physical separation from the basin.

“The Administration recommends that either a fence or vertical landscaping be installed between the

parking lot and the basin to provide a barrier between the two areas,” the report states.

The plan indicates that there will be a recessed loading dock at the southeast corner of the building next to the equipment area, pallet storage and garbage bin location.

The administration recommends that the applicant provide truck delivery times with the next submission to ensure that noise restrictions are met.

If approved, the administration recommends several conditions, including:

• The applicant shall provide written confirmation as to the disposition of each of the City Engineer and Fire Department’s comments as part of the final site plan and architectural review application.

• Evidence of the existing access easements being extinguished between 9470 and 9450 Mentor Ave. shall be provided to the city prior to issuance of the final building permit for the project.

• The applicant shall justify the extra parking spaces proposed on the site plan with the next plan submission.

• The first cart corral along the main access drive near Mentor Avenue shall be relocated on the site.

• Wheel stops shall be installed in the parking spaces adjacent to the sidewalk along the west and north sides of the building.

• The proposed cart corral in front of the building shall be screened with a screen wall and landscaping; a cross section of which shall be included on the landscape plan and resubmitted as part of the next plan.

• The development shall comply with buffering requirements along the southern property line or submit a conditional-use permit application to reduce the buffering requirements.

• A revised landscape and irrigation plan in conformance with city code shall be submitted.

• A photometric plan indicating the level of lighting at the property line is required.

The house was constructed by Daniel Sawyer. Wayside Gardens moved its administrative offices and catalog store there in 1916, the report says.

In 1978, Colpetzer-Woods Consulting Company purchased the building and used it for offices. It was converted into Phil Ribs Restaurant in 1989, and multiple establishments have come and gone since that time.

Preservation Ohio, a statewide historic preservation organization, named the Sawyer House on its 2020 Most Endangered Historic Sites list.

Lake County Historical Society and Mentor City leaders made inquiries into saving the Wester n Reser ve -st yle building after learning of potential redevelopment on the site. However, the costs to move it to a new location were prohibitive.