Hudson Council Honors Retiring Parks Leader, Pauses Data Center Applications

Hudson City Council returned from its summer recess Tuesday night with a packed agenda that included an emotional sendoff for a longtime employee, a proclamation for a beloved local foundation, a new six month pause on data center applications and a lengthy workshop discussion on housing density rules. All seven council members were present for the July 14 regular meeting and workshop at Town Hall.

Resident Alleges Dishonesty, Records Tampering by City Staff

A third resident used his public comment time to allege that city officials had not been truthful in a permit dispute involving his property. He said he possessed a site plan, approved permit and passed inspection for a fence project, and alleged that City Manager Thomas Sheridan’s public statements on the matter were inaccurate. Referencing a separate case involving another individual’s driveway repair, the resident replayed a clip of that individual’s earlier remarks to council and said, “it’s telling you that he lied eight times in 39 seconds.” He also alleged that a staff member had altered or deleted public records related to the dispute in violation of Ohio’s open records law, and criticized City Solicitor Marshal Pitchford’s handling of legal matters involving residents. Council did not respond to the allegations, and city officials have not independently confirmed or disputed the claims described above.

Council Honors Retiring Parks and Public Works Leader

Council opened the meeting by unanimously passing Honorary Resolution 26-100, recognizing Eric Hutchinson for more than 35 years of service to the city. Hutchinson began as a seasonal high school worker on June 1, 1990, joined the city full time in 1996 and rose through the ranks to become Parks Maintenance Supervisor in 2000, Parks Superintendent in 2005 and Assistant Public Works Director in 2015.

The resolution credited Hutchinson with overseeing development of Barlow Farm Park, Maple Grove Park and Veterans Way Park, along with skate parks, field lighting, snow removal operations, the Senior Snow Plow Program, City Hall renovations and trail improvements. Under his leadership, the Summit Disc Golf Association named Hudson Springs Park its home course.

Council members and staff took turns thanking Hutchinson before the vote. City Manager Thomas Sheridan called him “one of the first department managers I met when I came here as city engineer” and said his even keeled attitude was the best he could ask for in a colleague. Hutchinson thanked council and said the thing he already misses most is his coworkers.

Pegs Foundation Marks 25 Years in Hudson

Council also read a proclamation recognizing the 25th anniversary of Pegs Foundation. The foundation is named for Margaret “Peg” Clark Morgan, who was born September 5, 1918, in Kent and graduated as valedictorian of Theodore Roosevelt High School before earning a business degree from Miami University. Morgan began working at Goodrich in Akron in 1939, where she met her husband, Burton D. Morgan. The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation was established in her honor in 2001 with a focus on improving the lives of people with serious mental illness. A gallery exhibit marking the anniversary remains on view through September 5.

Several council members praised the foundation’s work, and Council President Michael Bird recalled his own decades working part time in the emergency department at Akron Children’s Hospital, where he said a Pegs Foundation donation of more than one million dollars helped create a pediatric mental health intake center roughly 20 years ago. A foundation representative accepted the proclamation and thanked council for the partnership.

Resident Asks Council to Lower Speed Limit on Route 303

During public comment, a resident who lives along West Streetsboro Street asked council to lower the speed limit to 35 miles per hour along the corridor to the Boston Heights border, citing unsafe passing by motorcyclists and other drivers during rush hour. Two other residents used the comment period to raise separate ongoing concerns, one involving a past rezoning decision and another involving a property permit dispute with city staff. Council took no action on the comments Tuesday night.

Council Catches Up on a Summer of Emergencies

Several council members used their comment time to address a string of incidents that occurred during the council recess, including a natural gas explosion in Twinsburg Township, severe weather that disrupted the city’s July 3 fireworks celebration and a police pursuit that ended in Stow. Council Member Samantha D’Eramo asked City Manager Sheridan to review the city’s emergency notification tools, including Notify Me and Code Red. Council Member Amanda Weinstein suggested the city also consider a dedicated Facebook page for police and fire updates.

Sheridan told council the city is working on better follow up communication after incidents, such as confirming when roads reopen or power is restored, and is exploring whether it can use money from the American Municipal Power group to build an outage map similar to one used by FirstEnergy. He said a full report on the summer’s communications and incidents will come to council in August.

Council Member Kyle Brezovec gave an update on the fiber optic project pause that followed the Twinsburg Township explosion on June 25. He said city staff have been reviewing safety specifications for all directional drilling in the city and plan to bring new standards to council on August 11. He also explained that the city’s earlier decision to lower the speed limit on state Route 91 came through an urban district designation rather than a traditional speed study, since prior studies did not support a change.

Council President Bird thanked the Fairways homeowners association for helping residents whose homes were damaged by the Twinsburg Township explosion find housing and repairs. Council Member Dan White thanked the Environmental Awareness Committee and fire department for their quick response to a small fire during a committee meeting held in the same building earlier that week.

Mayor Highlights New Businesses and Summer Events

Mayor Jeffrey Anzevino used his comments to highlight two new downtown businesses, Ivory and Birch and Daisy Pop’s Cake Pop kiosk, both near First and Main. He also announced that the renovated bandstand gazebo on the downtown green has reopened, though an ADA lift for the structure remains out for bid. The mayor reminded residents that the Hudson Sidewalk Sale runs July 17 and 18 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. downtown, and that the Birdsong art installation has returned to the Park Lane Green for what he said will be its final Northeast Ohio stop after nearly three years touring the region. He also recognized a resident as the recipient of his June kindness challenge.

Consent Agenda Includes New Pause on Data Center Applications

Council suspended its rules and approved all eight items on its consent agenda by a 7 to 0 vote. The items included a renewal contract with Bluebird Midwest LLC for internet services, a police services agreement with Hudson City School District, a stormwater easement at 2095 Ravenna Street, a traffic impact study contract with TMS Engineers for the proposed Clinton Crossing project, an increased purchase order for golf pro shop equipment, an emergency repair agreement for a transformer at the South Main Street substation and a contract with Summit County Public Health for stormwater outfall monitoring.

The final item, Resolution 26-108, declares a six month stay on new applications for data centers and related activities in Hudson. Weinstein explained that the city’s land development code does not currently include a specific use category for data centers, which could otherwise be classified as light industry or warehousing and permitted by right in some areas. She said the pause gives the Planning Commission time to define data center use, consider scale limits and address impacts on the power grid, water systems and noise levels.

Council Passes Cell Tower Lease, Advances Gas Ballot Measure

Council unanimously approved Resolution 26-96, authorizing a lease agreement with North Star Towers 2 LLC. Weinstein said the tower will add cell service to the southern part of town. Council also completed a second of three readings on Ordinance 26-99, which would authorize a governmental natural gas aggregation program with opt out provisions and direct the Summit County Board of Elections to place the question on the ballot. A third reading is scheduled for the July 21 meeting.

The regular meeting adjourned at 8:37 p.m., and council reconvened a short time later for its workshop session.

Planning Commission Pitches Changes to Density and Planned Development Rules

Planning Commission Chair Sarah Norman joined the workshop to walk council through a nearly year long review of housing density standards and the city’s planned development process. Norman said the density discussion began after council removed a dense townhome style from most districts but left other dense housing options in place. Working with consultant OHM Advisors, the commission compared Hudson’s standards to peer communities and is recommending lower density caps in the village core, where current rules allow up to 20 units per acre for townhomes and 30 for multifamily housing.

Weinstein, who serves as the council liaison to the Planning Commission, asked whether the recommendations account for corridors such as Darrow Road, where higher density might make more sense than in other parts of town. Norman said the commission is also recommending removing a stacked dwelling unit provision in District 9, the Darrowville Historic area, because the district lacks specific development standards for that housing type.

Norman raised broader concerns about the city’s planned development process, which has only been used once, for the First and Main development. She said the code lacks a clear definition of mixed use, creates conflicting review timelines between subdivision and planned development applications, and gives the city manager authority to approve modifications of up to 10 percent without further review, which could total several acres on a larger site. She also questioned vague language requiring “exceptional design” without a defined standard.

Brezovec asked why the process needed such scrutiny given how rarely it has been used. Norman responded that a developer had hoped to use the process for a residential component in the area known as District 11, and cited past surprises, including a veterinary clinic and dog park once proposed near the Turnpike on Prospect Street. She also discussed a townhome development near Route 91 that was grandfathered in under the prior comprehensive plan and is now considered a nonconforming use. Weinstein noted those units have sold for more than originally represented to the Planning Commission and are moving slowly, suggesting council may want to revisit that housing type. A Planning Commission subcommittee began meeting this week to study the planned development process further, and staff plan to research model language from the American Planning Association.

Finance Report Shows Income Tax Ahead of Estimates

The city’s finance staff told council that income tax collections through the end of June were running about 2.8 percent above budget estimates, aided by interest income that remains above projections. Franchise fee revenue from HCTV continues to run well below estimates, a trend council has discussed in past meetings. Staff plan to bring council a list of infrastructure spending options tied to the city’s excess fund balance at the July 28 workshop.

Council also previewed its consent agenda for the July 21 meeting, which is expected to include a second appropriations amendment covering unbudgeted costs such as 150,000 dollars for snow and ice removal, vehicle repairs for the fire and EMS departments, and carryover grant funding for the Hudson Drive water line project. Staff also confirmed that removal of Norfolk Southern rail track along the Veterans Rails to Trails corridor is underway and should finish within about three weeks, though the trail itself depends on future federal funding and is not expected to open for several years.

Watch Highlights From the Meeting

Watch resident comments from the July 14 Hudson City Council meeting on YouTube.