The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Medical office proposed
Optima Dermatology would raze existing building on Route 306
A big change is proposed at a high-profile spot in Mentor.
Mentor Planning Commission recently approved the preliminary site plan for an Optima Dermatology center at 7676 Reynolds Road, just southwest of the Route 2/Route 306 interchange.
The applicant is proposing to demolish the existing Union Capital Mortgage building on the site and construct a 5,738-square-foot medical office.
Optima representative Max Puyanic said the company has been “looking very aggressively” for a Mentor location for more than a year.
“The reason we’re so excited to serve your community is, within about a 30-minute drive time of this location, the wait times to see a dermatologist are over 90 days,” he said.
He noted that it is crucial to treat skin cancer early as melanoma can metastasize into the lymph nodes within 60 days, lowering survival chances.
“We’re a cancer-focused dermatological practice,” he said. “All the physicians working here were Cleveland Clinic trained.”
Services include general dermatology treating all types of skin issues, surgery, clinical research and cosmetic services.
“We’ll have over $700,000 of the latest technological equipment in the building,” he said. “We’re also excited about our design. We want the building to represent what we do in spirit and the cutting-edge nature of the medicine that we practice.”
The project architect explained how the various shades of wood in the building design represent “the dynamic spectrum of the melanin factor and skin colors.”
Commission member Geoffrey Varga suggested more durable materials, such as masonry, on at least some sides of the building. He also questioned the location of the entry door, opposite the Route 2 eastbound exit ramp.
“I’m not suggesting you redesign the building,” he said. “I’m just bringing to your attention that your building entrance is not visible from anyplace in the parking lot and it faces north, which, in this climate, is the worst place to put an entrance because the wind blows out of the north, northwest, and you’ll be shoveling snow out of that alcove the rest of your life.”
The title of the property is still under review and the applicant is working with the Lake County Auditor’s Tax Map Division on the legal descriptions, according to a staff report to the Commission.
Property owner Ronald Szuch said the sale has yet to close. Meanwhile, the existing business remains open in the building.
The following are among the conditions approved with the preliminary site plan:
• The title discrepancies tied to the property shall be rectified prior to the final site plan submission.
• Documentation of the cross-access easements between the two properties (7676 and 7680 Reynolds) shall be provided with the final plan submission.
• A floor plan and building material sample board shall be provided as part of the final site plan submission.
In other action, the commission approved a conditional-use permit allowing Optima to set up a temporary clinic within a 2,400-square-foot space in an existing multitenant building nearby at 7326 Industrial Park Blvd.