by Rachael Whitcomb
Associate Editor
Hudson -- In the spirit of regionalism, the Boston Heights and Hudson planning commissions met April 9 to discuss a possible collaboration between the two bodies in respect to the border they share along Route 8.
Route 8, which will be transformed into a limited access highway starting this year from Macedonia to Stow to create a limited access highway, has caught the eye of developers recently. The stretch of highway that extends along the borders of Boston Heights and Hudson is not highly developed, and the location of open parcels, along with the possibility of more travelers and easier access once the highway project is complete, is making the area attractive to developers.
Several developers who have presented projects to the village of Boston Heights say the area is underserved by retail and recreation businesses like restaurants, and they are looking to fill that need.
While Hudson has formulated a strict city approval process, Boston Heights has only recently had to face developers" large-scale requests.
A bedroom community with most residential lots measuring one acre or more and a third of the village taken up by a national park, Boston Heights residents have said at meetings that they don"t want the Route 8 corridor developed in a dense fashion with large anchor stores, as has been proposed.
Boston Heights officials who met with the Hudson planning commission said they hope that working with Hudson will help the two entities develop their shared border in the best possible way -- without increasing traffic problems, exacerbating environmental problems such as stormwater management, taking away from existing retail in Hudson or putting a greater burden on the Hudson City School District, which includes parts of Boston Heights.
"There"s a lot of potential to come from working together," Hudson"s Community Development Director Tom King said at the meeting.
King told the planning commission that Hudson Mayor William Currin helped arrange the meeting between the two municipalities.
Currin, chairman of the Northeast Ohio Mayors and City Managers Association, spoke recently to more than local leaders on the idea of promoting regionalism across Northeast Ohio. The group in which Currin focuses his efforts to promote regionalism, Advance Northeast Ohio, describes the idea of regionalism as businesses, educational facilities and local governments in the area promoting economic growth through resource sharing and cooperation.
One of the four main goals of the group is to improve government collaboration and efficiency.
As a result of the April 9 discussion, the two planning bodies from Boston Heights and Hudson now will each choose a liaison, who will notify each other of upcoming projects that could have an effect outside their respective communities.
E-mail: rwhitcomb@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3146