Akron Planning Commission votes in favor of Summit Lake plan
Questions and concerns about power outages, geese, greenways, housing affordability and container homes surfaced during a public hearing held by the Akron Department of Planning and Urban Development Jan. 11 about its Summit Lake zoning proposal.
Residents joined City of Akron staff members and elected officials such as City Council President Margo Sommerville, who represents Ward 3, at the REACH Opportunity Center for a presentation and question-and-answer session.
City Planner Daniel DeAngelo summarized the overall process, which started in 2021 and involved the city planning staff and dozens of Summit Lake residents who participated in workshops, in-person outreach events and an advisory group.
The current proposal is based on findings published in the Our Summit Lake Community Land Plan in 2022.
DeAngelo said that zoning across the city needs to be updated and that officials have moved to form-based zoning, which was approved last year and unveiled in plans for the Merriman Valley in July and approved in December. DeAngelo said the city wants to align zoning regulations with usage. In Summit Lake, that means providing more flexibility, housing affordability, greenspaces, and possibly road and sidewalk improvements.
Following the presentation, staff answered residents’ questions for about an hour. One resident asked why the west side of Summit Lake was not included in the plan. Officials said there were plans to expand into other parts of Summit Lake in the coming year.
The plan was presented by city staff to the Akron Planning Commission today and received unanimous support. Next up is Akron City Council, which will discuss the proposal and vote this month or next, officials said.
