Brecksville Planning and BZA Meetings: Therapy And Wellness Connection Expansion, FirstEnergy Upgrades, Business Zoning Cases

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BRECKSVILLE, Ohio – Therapy and Wellness Connection took center stage at recent Brecksville Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals meetings, as city officials signed off on a new conditional use that will allow the fast‑growing pediatric therapy provider to expand across Brecksville Road. Commissioners also advanced a major upgrade and security plan for FirstEnergy’s Miller Road campus and reviewed other business‑related zoning matters.

Therapy and Wellness Connection Wins Conditional Use for Second Brecksville Site

The Brecksville Planning Commission on Dec. 4 unanimously recommended approval of a conditional use permit for Therapy and Wellness Connection to operate at 10330 Brecksville Road in an MD (manufacturing) district, directly across from its existing clinic.

Therapy and Wellness Connection currently operates at 10245 Brecksville Road offering speech, occupational, physical and ABA therapy, day programs, educational support and summer camp for children and young adults with disabilities and developmental delays, according to the company’s own materials and autism‑resource listings online (Therapy & Wellness Connection, Milestones Autism Resources). The practice is owned by speech‑language pathologist Jaclyn McClymont, who is listed as owner/SLP in Milestones’ resource center.

At the Dec. 4 meeting, representatives explained that the new location will function as a second site with a different service model rather than simply duplicating the current clinic.

• The new facility will operate with an approximate ratio of one therapist to three children, compared with more intensive one‑on‑one services at the existing site.
• They described it as a progressive, less‑restrictive “alternative school” style day program, designed to help students work toward re‑entry into their home school districts and fuller participation in community life.
• The organization currently serves around 200 clients, many with autism, with funding for its day program primarily coming from insurance. The new program will allow services to extend beyond autism diagnoses because of different funding mechanisms.

Commission members asked how long the provider had been in Brecksville and how the second site would change operations. The applicant noted Therapy and Wellness Connection has been in town since 2017, originally near Miller and Brecksville roads, then moving to 10245 Brecksville Road and securing a prior conditional use in 2019 for that building.

Several members praised the organization’s work and growth.

One commissioner told the representatives he was “very happy” to see them expanding, calling their continued growth a “good problem to have” and saying the city was “very thankful” the business chose to stay and invest in Brecksville.

No residents spoke for or against the project during the public hearing. With no objections raised, the commission voted to recommend approval of the conditional use at 10330 Brecksville Road as outlined in Therapy and Wellness Connection’s Nov. 13, 2025 application and supporting documents.

City Council will have final say on the conditional use.

FirstEnergy Plans Major Miller Road Upgrades and New Security Fence

Also on Dec. 4, the Planning Commission granted preliminary approval for extensive exterior and site work at FirstEnergy’s Northern Region Headquarters at 6896 Miller Road.

Architect Julia Duhart and civil engineer Wes Davis, appearing on behalf of FirstEnergy, outlined a multi‑phase project to modernize and secure the long‑time CEI facility:

• The 1978 diamond‑shaped building will continue to house CEI and serve as a secondary control center — a backup to FirstEnergy’s main control center in Akron in case of a large‑scale failure.
• A 1999 two‑story atrium addition will be reconfigured for the company’s transmission arm, identified at the meeting as ATSI (American Transmission Systems, Inc.), which manages the bulk electric system over a multi‑state footprint.
• Exterior work includes:
  • Full cleaning and repair of aging precast concrete panels.
  • Removal of oversized, outdated entries on the north and west sides and replacement with pre‑manufactured metal canopies in a dark bronze color to match site lighting.
  • Replacement of worn aluminum storefront and curtainwall systems with new glass and framing matching the existing sightlines and finish. The architect noted the original insulated glass still meets current energy codes; the main issues are failed gaskets and sealants that have led to leaks.
  • Targeted door replacements and minor repairs on the south side, with the overhead coiling door kept in place.
• Site work calls for milling the parking lot down to base and resurfacing, while expanding parking from roughly 230–250 spaces to around 317 spaces, plus room to land‑bank 14 additional spaces if needed.

The plan also tightens circulation and ADA compliance:

• Existing drive aisles are about 23.1 feet wide, shy of the 24‑foot minimum; FirstEnergy is seeking a variance to retain that width while reconfiguring parking.
• A long five‑foot sidewalk in front of the building will remain, with wheel stops added where required so vehicles don’t overhang the walk. New or expanded sections of sidewalk will meet the city’s seven‑foot standard where parking spaces face the walk.
• The applicant committed to repairing heaved pavement at the north entry and adjusting cross‑slopes to keep ADA routes compliant.

On stormwater, Davis said the team will work with the city engineer to update the existing detention basin to meet current quantity and quality standards, based on the net increase in impervious area. Some site lighting is being upgraded as well, with photometric plans to demonstrate code compliance.

The most sensitive point of discussion was a proposed seven‑foot‑tall decorative black metal security fence that would encircle the front of the property.

• City code generally prohibits fences in front yards and caps fence height at six feet, so the project requires both a front‑yard fence allowance and a height variance.
• The fence would run roughly 80 to 120 feet back from the right‑of‑way, softened by existing topography and landscaping, and would not include barbed wire.
• Two secure gates on the east and west drives will use card readers and an intercom system linked to a staffed security desk inside the building. Visitors must present identification, receive a badge and be escorted once inside the facility.

Commissioners acknowledged the need for hardened security around critical electric infrastructure, especially given recent concerns nationwide about physical and cyber threats to the grid. At the same time, several officials noted this would be a visible precedent for allowing a front‑yard fence on a Brecksville office site.

The applicant emphasized that the CEI building functions as a backup control center for the company’s multi‑state service territory and that this level of perimeter security is standard across FirstEnergy’s portfolio.

In the end, the Planning Commission voted to grant preliminary approval and recommend the project to City Council, including:

• Deviations from minimum parking counts by building (with land‑banked capacity).
• A deviation to allow a front‑yard fence in this context.

Final approval is contingent on:

• The Board of Zoning Appeals granting associated variances for:
  • Parking space size (9′ x 20′ instead of 10′ x 20′),
  • Drive aisle width (23.1 feet instead of 24 feet),
  • Fence height (7 feet instead of 6 feet).
• Completion of shared‑wall and utility easement agreements tied to a previously approved but not yet recorded lot split dividing the east and west buildings.
• City engineer review of stormwater, ADA routes, lighting and a limited traffic study confirming that Miller Road can handle added employee traffic without new signals.

BZA Docket Includes FirstEnergy Variances and Other Business‑Related Zoning

On Dec. 8, the Brecksville Board of Zoning Appeals took up several cases with a business or quasi‑business angle, alongside routine residential variances.

On the business and institutional side:

• Appeal 2025‑67 – FirstEnergy Corporation (6896 Miller Road)
  Civil engineer Wes Davis and architect Julia Duhart appeared again, this time in front of BZA, seeking the companion variances for the Miller Road headquarters:

  • Reduce required parking space size from 10′ x 20′ to 9′ x 20′.
  • Reduce drive aisle width from 24 feet to 23.1 feet to align with existing conditions.
  • Increase fence height from 6 feet to 7 feet for the decorative perimeter fence in the front yard.
    These variances are needed to fully implement the planning‑commission‑approved site plan.

• Appeal 2025‑66 – American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities Inc. (Chaffee Court)
  On behalf of the charity, Andrew Schultz of Shultz Design & Construction Inc. requested flexibility for a new house on Chaffee Court. The appeal seeks either:

  • A variance from the 40‑foot minimum front setback to allow 35 feet, or
  • A variance from the 50‑foot rear setback to allow 47 feet.
    The case illustrates how nonprofit or institutional landowners sometimes need custom setbacks to fit house designs onto previously platted lots.

Other appeals on the Dec. 8 agenda focused on homeowners and builders:

• Appeal 2025‑60 – Don Sylvis (Chippewa Road)
  Requested a fence height variance to go from 4 feet to 6 feet and permission for a stockade privacy fence type along about 230 feet of rear yard fencing.

• Appeal 2025‑63 – Sam Umina for Neal Brashear & Allison Winokur (Oxford Trail)
  Sought a rear‑yard setback variance from 60 feet to 52 feet for a home addition.

• Appeal 2025‑64 – Old World Custom Homes for Dom & Gina Catanzarite (Victoria Lane)
  Requested:

  • A front‑yard setback beyond the 70‑foot maximum (to 78 feet),
  • Expanded roof area over 30 feet in height from 20% to 37% of ground‑floor area for a custom home.

• Appeal 2025‑65 – Scott & Kim Warren (Riverview Road)
  Asked for a six‑month extension to previously approved variance 2024‑05, which had expired before the project could be completed.

The BZA also received the Report of Council Representative Stucky and a Report of Mayor Kingston before wrapping up the agenda.