Note to readers:
The following item is a written record of the Akron City Council Ward 1 community meeting from June 2, compiled by Akron Documenter Mike Klein. It is not a reported story.
Documenters are residents who are trained to observe and document local government meetings. Their notes are edited before publication for clarity and accuracy — unless quotation marks are used, all text is paraphrased.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalakron.org with "Correction Request" in the subject line.
Summary
- Akron hired OHM Advisors, an architectural and engineering firm, to look into a “Street Calming” program in three Akron neighborhoods including West Hill, Sherbondy Hill and West Akron along the the South Maple Street, Copley Road and Diagonal Road corridors to pinpoint where residents feel unsafe traffic conditions are located. The Akron Police Department (APD) is also involved in gathering real-time traffic and speed data from speed cameras.
- Ward 1 Council Member Fran Wilson is studying the crowd control problems and barricade solution in Highland Square by walking the area and talking to the people who are there from 11 p.m. until closing. They are addressing the problems in various ways, one of which was declaring the Highland Square area a Special Improvement District (SID) (Editor’s note: This meeting was held before the June 6 shooting in Highland Square.)
- Ward 1 is also studying the lack of affordable housing in the area. An organization called Unify Akron is studying the current zoning laws to see what can be changed to address the problem, and they are looking for community feedback.
Documenter follow-up questions
- The APD questioned just how unsafe the South Maple Street corridor was, so will OHM find similar results when they do a deeper dive into the issue they have been asked to study?
- It will be interesting to see the survey results from Unify Akron on the zoning problems and to see what solutions they will propose. Will those solutions be popular? Will they work? Will they become the new law?
Ward 1 meeting notes
After addressing and resolving technical issues with the projector, Ward 1 City Council Member Fran Wilson began the meeting at 6:04 p.m. by welcoming everyone and saying pizza was available. Wilson then showed a slide of the agenda and gave a quick summary of each item:
- Ward 1 news
- Zoning
- APD
- Street calming
- South Maple Street and group chat
- Socialize
Wilson then asked for a show of hands from those attending from the Copley Road and South Maple Street areas. Several hands were raised, and Wilson thanked them for attending. They then pointed out the map of Ward 1, and briefly explained the areas it covered. Wilson explained how to contact their office by using akronwardone.com. They also encouraged people to email them directly and repeatedly if they felt it necessary.
Residents share street calming ideas for South Maple Street, other locations
City of Akron Engineer Christine Jonke spoke about what the city is doing to address the Copley-Maple and East Akron traffic problems. OHM Advisors, a consulting architectural firm, has been retained to study the problems. Jonke then introduced Josh Slaga and Greta Thomas, planners from OHM.
Slaga explained that one of the techniques they use to gather data is to invite the residents who live along and in the area of the problem roads to get their feedback on what needs to be done, to pinpoint problem areas and to educate them about possible solutions that can be used to alleviate the problems.
The officials thanked the crowd for coming and pointed to two large maps on the central table. Slaga invited the audience to study the map and to place one of four colored circle stickers on the map to pinpoint the exact locations the residents felt were most unsafe along those streets. He also invited them to write their concerns on the provided sticky notes along with any possible solutions that they felt could make the area safer.
The group proceeded to place the stickers and discuss among each other, and Thomas and Slaga mingled with the crowd for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Join the movement for transparency
Civic power can start with you! We train and pay Documenters to take notes at local government meetings and share them here. Learn more about becoming a Documenter.
APD shares traffic calming, safter street solutions
Officer Jeff Lamm of the Akron Police Department Community Engagement Team (jlamm@akronohio.gov) addressed the residents about Ward 1 traffic issues, with attention to speeding/accidents and enforcement on Memorial Parkway and South Maple Street.
Lamm handed out a five-sheet packet with a list of current preventive measures and a speed-volume chart accompanied by various data tables.
The preventive measures are:
- Speed tables
- Solar signs that display your speed
- Speed trailers that only collect data
- Enforcement by police
- Road diets to calm traffic
- Speed cameras in school zones only, which is planned for future use.
Lamm then shared some of the key points of the data:
- A speed trailer was posted at 67 S. Maple St. for nine days in October of 2025.
During that time, one-third of the drivers drove below the 25 mph speed limit and the rest drove over the limit, with an average speed of 29 mph, but with the number of speeders over 35 mph dropping significantly.
Other updates:
- The City of Akron has a current population of 189,000, and the APD answers 127,000 calls per year or about 350 per day.
- APD has 446 sworn police officers with 220 patrol officers, 40 to 60 of whom are on patrol during peak hours.
- During the two-year period from May 2024 to May 2026, there were nine accidents and one traffic stop on Memorial Parkway.
- During the same time period, there were four traffic stops and 14 accidents along South Maple Street.
Street calming plans supported by federal grant
Lamm’s presentation was followed by a speaker who gave further details about the Copley-Maple and East Akron Safety Action Plan, which was funded by the “Safe Streets and Roads for All” grant. The traffic-slowing program is funded by grants from the federal government.
More Ward 1 news
Wilson gave an update on the things they are doing in the ward:
- Attended a press conference where Akron Mayor Shammas Malik put out an RFP for the Akron Use-of-Force Report proposal. Wilson attended the subsequent meetings and reported that the company that secured the bid had 52 recommendations and 18 were accepted by the APD.
- Wilson met with the folks in charge of the Curated Storefront program and took a tour of the new installations. Wilson encouraged all attendees to check them out.
- They toured the ACCESS Women’s Shelter and discussed the organization’s plans for expansion.
- Met with Unify Akron at its last meeting to learn more about the housing problems in Akron and how they are engaging the public and deliberating on a dozen community proposals to help with the situation.
- Wilson toured the Merriman Valley and discussed the flooding problem.
- Met with city leaders to discuss the Highland Square Special Improvement District.
- Wilson gave positive comments on the two new grocery stores that will open downtown and how the community came together to save the Theiss house.
A closer look at Highland Square
Highland Square, zoning, budgets discussed
There were two specific topics in the discussion about zoning: the first was a discussion about the Highland Square Special Improvement District (SID), and the second was a presentation by Akron Planning Director Kyle Julien.
Wilson began the zoning discussion by commenting on the Highland Square SID.
- Wilson explained what a SID was and how businesses in the district will pay for the improvements.
- Examples of improvements — ‘The Block Aid’ and the contract to get the blocks that control crowds in the area painted to improve their appeal.
- Wilson also highlighted just how crowded the area gets and that they are still trying to figure out the best solution to accommodate so many people safely.
- Wilson announced that they had been placed on the budgeting committee in council and talked about how that would help the residents of Ward 1.
Meeting Q&A with Wilson, residents
A short Q&A followed with no names being mentioned by those who asked questions:
Q: Has Wilson heard anything about data centers coming into the area?
A: Wilson said that they have not, but they continue to find out about them.
Q: Have any Akron groups been formed on this like they have in Cleveland?
A: An audience member answered that yes, the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) has formed one.
Q: Are there any data centers already in Akron?
A: Answered by Julien: There are four within the city limits (he then pointed out the address of each) with the largest being Viking Data Center on Seiberling Street. This facility also received a tax credit to continue expanding.
[Editor’s note: Signal Akron recently wrote about the data centers currently operating in Summit County.]
Unify Akron elevates resident’s housing ideas
Julien discussed the progress Unify Akron had made in addressing housing and zoning issues.
He said they are continuing to review the zoning code to find ways to help get more housing into the city.
One suggestion from Unify was for the city to use “form-based code,” which replaces current zoning code with a simpler system. The group is rolling out this and other suggestions and looking for feedback from the community.
Julien then asked everyone to participate by going to the city website, clicking on the Planning link and then the link “Easing Barriers to New Housing” to find out more and to offer feedback.
Julien then gave an example of a current zoning ordinance that can cause problems:
There is an ordinance that all lots must have 4,000 square feet of land. The problem is that old houses have lots smaller than that. They are in mixed neighborhoods with some lots smaller and some larger.
In the ’60s and ’70s, the code was redefined to only allow single-family housing. Today there are old lots mixed in with new lots, which creates a gray area. Banks won’t touch these areas, which means only cash buyers can purchase these lots. The fix is to not have a minimum lot size. This would lead to a mix of units: single, duplex, etc.
Another example involved when a structure or lot sits vacant for two years. It is automatically deemed a new lot and must follow the new codes.
Questions about zoning raised
Q: An attendee asked about having enough green space, saying that people need houses and grass.
A: Julien said that both are needed.
Q: Another person asked if using form-based code will make housing more affordable?
A: Julien said it will attract developers. It frees them up to bring all types of housing into the area.
An audience member said they don’t want a multi-unit building in an empty lot next to their house.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
