Planning Commission Approves Preliminary Site Plan For Osborne Office Complex

The Planning Commission approved during its meeting Thursday.

The proposed office complex would consist of three 3,200-square-foot buildings at the southwest corner of Bellflower and Center Street. Each building would be divided into two units.

Originally, the 7-acre property was zoned for single-family homes. However, in Nov. 2003, voters approved an initiative petition from Osborne to rezone it for business.

"Even when it was zoned residential, it wasn't ideal for building houses," said Ric Spence, the planning adminstrator for the city of Mentor.

Initially, Osborne hoped to build an assisted living facility there.

In 2004, the Planning Commission even approved a plan for a 114-unit assisted living facility and adult day care.

However, the rezoning did not include a caveat that only an assisted living facility could be built, Spence told the commission. He also said the office complex might be less intrusive for those who live in the neighborhood than an assised living facility.

"Small office would probably use less parking than any other use," he said.

The project still needs approval for a final site plan. Additionally, the Commission and city have put some stipulations on the project.

For example, Osborne will need to file a minor subdivision application for the adjustments to the exiting property lines.

Planning Commission Chairman Bill Snow also told the contractors to preserve as many trees on the wooded property as possible.

A group of Mentor residents came to the meeting to protest the project. But they were not given a time to speak during the 2-hour meeting because the approval of a preliminary site plan does not require a public hearing.

However, Snow said if the people returned the next time the Osborne office complex was on the agenda, he would give them time to talk.