City ponders new land use plan

Recommendations for future outlined in Lorain Comprehensive Plan

A new master plan could guide the evolution of Lorain over the next few decades.

After two years of work, the new Lorain Comprehensive Plan makes eight recommendations to rejuvenate the city.

Lorain City Council’s Building & Lands Committee, with all of Council met Sept. 24 for the first public review of the findings in the report.

The 75-page plan was presented by Jason Sudy, a principal of the firm OHM Advisors, a “community advancement” company that specializes in architecture, engineering and planning.

“A comprehensive plan really is sort of a large scale look at what a city can be,” he said. “It’s essentially a blueprint for the future.

“This isn’t a specific guide that will tell exactly what you need to do in every case,” Sudy said. “This sets up the parameters for future development and future ideas and future policy changes to occur.”

Along with the plan, Lorain is in the midst of a comprehensive zoning code update that will address specific “nuts and bolts” issues for building in the city, Sudy said.

Since the Lorain Comprehensive

Plan process started, a lot of other planning has taken place, Sudy said. Those documents, especially dealing with lakefront connectivity and ways to reuse Lorain’s brownfield areas, coincide and complement the city plan, he said.

“So that’s all good news, everybody’s really pulling in the same direction,” Sudy said.

The plan began with an examination of existing conditions. There were meetings for public input and Lorain’s data was blended with the best practices happening in other communities, Sudy said.

In the public process, it was clear priorities were community, growth, stability and mobility. Sudy said.

From there, a plan steering committee focused on ways to find specific, key ideas that can be implemented strategically to move forward more quickly, Sudy said.

Some of those things, such as the redevelopment of downtown, already are happening, he added. Making downtown Lorain “development ready” was the second priority for the plan.

The city has commissioned

studies before, but has done nothing, said Committee Chairwoman Mary Springowski.

“We’ve cowered before the naysayers and many times served the public by maintaining the status quo, therefore doing nothing,” Springowski said. “Well, it’s time to fish or cut bait. And I’m saying damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead.”

The study is a good first step, Springowski said.

Council must be brave to make the right meaningful decisions to benefit Lorain, she said.

The city should partner with the Lorain Port Authority to assist with economic development, Springowski said. She also challenged city residents to get on the same page and help move Lorain forward.

“Stop ignoring bad behavior, start demanding better,” Springowski said. “You deserve it. We all deserve it.”

The plan also prompted comments from Lorain developer Gary Davis, who called for diversity in and flexibility in getting new businesses in town.

Mayor Chase Ritenauer, Councilmen-at-Large Joe Koziura and Mitch Fallis, and Jim Long of the Lorain Growth Corp. all praised the document.

Councilman Greg Argenti noted the plan recommends an annexation strategy to get development into the city while improving access to Lorain.

The plan was general on annexation, Sudy said. But it suggests the Lorain administration think about

how to work with developers and landowners to position deals that allow the city to service areas outside and capture revenues from new construction, he said.

Several residents also commented, some with inquiries about specific projects or sites.

“To me, this is Lorain’s dream and the beauty about these dreams - they’re achievable, they’re do-able,” said city resident Jerry Donovan.

But he warned Council not to be parochial, only looking inward, instead of inviting people in to redevelop the city, Donovan said.

“This city has got unbelievable potential and this city is no different from other cities here and elsewhere,” he said.