Mentor Board of Zoning Appeals Approves Variance for New Physicians' Group Coming to Town

The Mentor Board of Building and Zoning Appeals on Tuesday unanimously approved a parking variance that allows a new medical business to move into the city.  

Cardiovascular Consultants of Cleveland Inc. is expected to invest up to $1.2 million to renovate the former Carpet and Tile Liquidators building at 7200 Mentor Avenue. The physicians' group, which provides cardiovascular medical services, has about 50 employees and operates offices in Mayfield Heights, Chardon, Middlefield and Concord Township.

City code would have required Cardiovascular Consultants to maintain 149 parking spaces for the 21,000-square-foot building. However, David Carlozzi, operations manager for Cardiovascular Consultants, said the physicians' group expects to utilize just 12,000 to 15,000 square feet and would not need 149 parking spaces.

Instead, the board approved a parking variance that allows Cardiovascular Consultants to maintain 85 parking spaces.

The new medical office, expected to employ about 15 including three physicians, will service about eight to 12 patients per hour, five days a week.

In other action, the board unanimously approved a variance to allow James and Gayle George to construct a 480-square-foot detached garage at their home, 8626 Hendricks Road.