Stow Planning Committee: Seasons Road Storage Expansion, Marsh Road Rezoning, Zoning Code Changes

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STOW, Ohio – The Stow Planning Committee and Planning Commission this month weighed a new financial institution on Kent Road, advanced an industrial expansion on Seasons Road, and backed a rezoning on Marsh Road, all while grappling with the first wave of issues arising from the city’s newly adopted zoning code. Together, the discussions highlighted how the Stow Planning Committee and its sister commission are balancing development pressure, environmental protections and neighborhood compatibility.

Kent Road Financial Institution: Drive-Thru and Setback Variances Recommended

The Planning Committee agenda for December 4, 2025 included Resolution 2025‑247, concerning 4420 Kent Road (Parcel 56‑13002). The applicant is Matthew Schoening on behalf of TWL Kent Road LLC, the property owner.

The request covered several pieces:

• Site plan approval for site alterations for a financial institution (Section 1137.03(d))
• A conditional zoning certificate for a drive‑thru facility (Section 1145.02)
• A variance from the minimum 20‑foot side yard building setback, with 13 feet‑3 inches proposed (Section 1145.06)
• A variance to omit the required 10‑foot bypass lane at the drive‑thru (Section 1145.15)

The 1.19‑acre property is zoned C‑4 General Business, a corridor where drive‑thru and auto‑oriented uses are common but still subject to site design standards.

According to the agenda materials, the Planning Commission (PC) previously approved the case 4‑0 with an amendment requiring at least a 9‑foot bypass lane rather than the full 10 feet, striking a compromise between code compliance and the constraints of the site layout.

Key takeaways from the 4420 Kent Road case:

• The city is still willing to accommodate drive‑thru financial institutions along Kent Road, but will look closely at circulation and safety.
• Rather than waiving the bypass lane entirely, the commission required a reduced but functional bypass lane, acknowledging the site’s limits while preserving a path around queued vehicles.
• The project, if built, would refresh a commercial site in a high‑traffic corridor that already hosts similar auto‑oriented uses.

The Planning Committee’s role on 2025‑247 is to forward a recommendation to City Council, which will make the final decision.

Seasons Road Storage Expansion Near Wetlands Moves Forward

In a separate case, the Planning Commission considered PC 2025‑029 for 816 Seasons Road, a nearly 3‑acre property zoned I‑2 Industrial within the Mud Brook Wetland and Stream Setback Overlay.

The applicant is seeking site plan approval and a variance to construct a second 3,600‑square‑foot storage building that replicates a 2023 approval on the same property.

City planning staff explained that:

• The proposed building would be 20 feet from the west property line, 90 feet from the east property line, and 30 feet from a Category 2 wetland.
• The wetland setback requirement is 50 feet, and it applies to both buildings and impervious surfaces.
• A gravel parking and maneuvering area would come as close as 5 feet to the wetland, creating a request for a 45‑foot variance from the setback.

Owner explains wetlands and circulation limits

Adam Froman, owner of Green Oasis and a resident of Stow, testified that the new building will:

• Be used for small business and heated contractor storage and warehouse space
• Allow Green Oasis to move operations into the new building, freeing existing bays for renters
• Match the appearance and colors of the existing structures
• Be tucked behind current buildings, making it not visible from Seasons Road

Froman said the real constraint is truck and trailer circulation:

He told commissioners that even if the building could be shifted, “the parking lot is always going to be the problem,” because any workable turning area for large vehicles inevitably pushes into the wetland setback.

He also noted:

• A Category 1 wetland behind an existing building would be filled under a permit already granted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• A Category 2 wetland along the east side of the property will remain, but its required buffer “shoots out and then goes back in,” making full compliance difficult.
• The wet areas are largely old farm depressions that became wetland by vegetation, not part of a continuous stream system.

The commission discussed the property’s prior approvals, including a 2023 building that did not require variances after redesign. In this case, staff and the applicant said the remaining developable area is too constrained to avoid a setback encroachment while still allowing trucks to function.

Commissioners ultimately recommended approval of the site plan and variance request, with one “no” vote tied to the city’s wetland setback standards. The case will now go on to City Council in January for final consideration.

Marsh Road Rezoning to Support Medical and Office Reuse

The Planning Commission also revisited a zoning question for 3605 and 3625 Marsh Road, where two 16‑unit buildings were most recently used as an assisted living facility.

Earlier, City Council denied a C‑4 rezoning for the site, citing concerns over the intensity and variety of uses allowed that close to residential neighborhoods. Council suggested a less intense commercial classification instead.

In response, the new request, PC 2025‑036, proposes a zoning map amendment from R‑2 to C‑2 Limited Retail, which will roll into the city’s C‑1 Neighborhood Commercial district once the new code takes effect.

Planning staff described the future C‑1 district as intended to:

• Provide small‑scale commercial uses along arterial streets near neighborhoods
• Encourage adaptive reuse of existing buildings
• Support mixed‑use with commercial on the first floor and residential above
• Require pedestrian‑friendly features and landscaping compatible with nearby homes

Under the current code:

• C‑2 allows retail, offices and personal services by right (including salons, nail salons and similar businesses).
• When the new zoning code becomes effective, the site will automatically be reclassified into C‑1 without the owner needing another application, opening the door more clearly to medical offices and other neighborhood‑serving uses.

Broker: Not a sale or redevelopment, but reuse

Patrick Powers, with Pappas Realty (business address on Kent Road in Stow), said the owner is marketing the buildings for lease, not for sale or teardown.

He told commissioners:

• The goal is to repurpose the former assisted living complex, with a focus on medical offices and related professional uses.
• Without a rezoning, the buildings are effectively stuck in a narrow assisted‑living‑style use that still requires conditional approvals.
• A more flexible commercial classification will make it realistic to find tenants who can invest in updating and reusing the existing structures.

Commissioners voted to recommend approval of the C‑2 rezoning for 3625 Marsh Road (and its companion parcel), sending the matter to City Council.

New Zoning Code Adopted; Fixes Already in the Works

Later in the meeting, planning staff briefed the commission on the city’s new zoning code, which City Council adopted on December 4.
The code takes effect February 9, but several late amendments by council are already prompting plans for follow‑up text changes.

Key highlights from the staff update:

Duplexes and Townhomes Shift Back to Conditional Use

The draft code would have allowed duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes and townhomes as “limited permitted uses” — effectively by right — in certain locations:

• Along major corridors such as Kent Road, Darrow Road, Fishcreek, Graham, Stow, Hudson and Norton roads
• Within 300 feet of similar dwellings or non‑residential zoning, consistent with existing code

Council amended the text to make these housing types conditional uses again, restoring a higher level of discretionary review by the Stow Planning Committee and Commission in those areas.

Six‑Units‑Per‑Acre Density Cap Returns

Council also reinserted a maximum density of six dwelling units per acre for multifamily developments.

Planning staff warned that:

• The cap is inconsistent with some existing multifamily projects already built in Stow.
• It could block or severely limit mixed‑use projects, especially on small lots, where developers might want first‑floor commercial with apartments above.

Staff suggested options such as:

• Raising the density cap, or
• Exempting mixed‑use projects in the mixed‑use overlay from the six‑units‑per‑acre limit.

They told commissioners to expect a cleanup amendment early next year.

Cannabis Setbacks Doubled, Other Rules Intact

On cannabis dispensaries, council tightened location rules by:

• Doubling the required setback from schools, places of worship, libraries, Playgrounds and parks from 500 feet to 1,000 feet.

Other elements remain:

• Only one dispensary is allowed in Stow.
• Dispensaries must be at least one mile apart.
• Drive‑throughs and outdoor storage are not permitted.
• There is no new stand‑alone residential setback beyond what zoning already requires.

Minor Planned Development Overlay Weakened

Staff flagged one of the most worrisome changes: council removed the “modification standards” from the Minor Planned Development Overlay.

That overlay was designed for projects under 10 acres — residential, commercial or industrial — that don’t fit neatly into base districts and need relief on setbacks, parking, building height or similar factors.

Previously, when applicants asked for that flexibility, they were expected to provide public benefits such as:

• Green building features (like LEED‑style sustainability measures)
• A percentage of affordable units
• A percentage of accessible units
• Or other negotiated upgrades such as enhanced landscaping and buffering, better lighting or park/Playground space

With the modification standards removed, staff said:

• Developers can still apply for the overlay, but
• They no longer have to meet any of the public‑benefit criteria, undercutting the reason the overlay exists.

Planning staff told the commission they plan to return with revisions or replacement language to restore some quid pro quo to the overlay.

Planning Commission Thanks Longest‑Serving Member

Before adjournment, commissioners publicly thanked long‑time member Lynn (full name to be verified from the city roster), recognizing her as the longest‑serving member of the Planning Commission.

One colleague noted that her first meeting on the body coincided with his, and praised her steady work “even in our times when the whole world was against us.” Others echoed that she has been a “big asset” to the commission and to the city’s public process.