Council extends Bradley Bay deadline
By Jeff Gallatin
Bay Village
Published Dec. 21, 2005

As the clock nears the end of this year, city council has given more time for consideration of the $7 million Bradley Bay Health Center expansion proposal.

On Dec. 12, council unanimously approved the 60-day extension sought by the planning commission for further consideration of the project sought by Bradley Bay owner John O'Neill Jr. If council had not approved the extension, the time period for consideration of the proposal would have expired, meaning council could have no longer considered it and city law would have deemed it approved.

"It's something the commission had to have for further consideration of the issue since the planning commission and the board of zoning appeals are both having to look at it," said Ward 4 Councilman Brian Cruse, who is also city council president-elect beginning in 2006.

Currently the proposal, which would expand the existing home on Bradley Road, has a series of possible zoning variances set to go before the board. The planning commission sent the proposal to the board in September to consider the multiple variances. Included in the expansion plans are 32-independent living suites and beds for 56 Alzheimer's patients. The zoning variances would cover different aspects of the work which would be needed for the expansion.

If the board approves the variances, then the proposal would have to go back to the Planning Commission for final approval of the project. However, if the Bradley Bay project backers don't like the commission's final ruling, that ruling could be appealed to city council for consideration.

O'Neill and his attorney, Gary Werner, could not be reached for comment prior to deadline.

David Tadych, council's representative to the Planning Commission, said the additional time is necessary for the BZA and the Planning Commission to handle the issue.

Citizens and city officials have been discussing the issue since O'Neill initially sought approval for the project more than a year ago. There have been two lawsuits as a result with others possible depending on the upcoming rulings, parties involved in the matter have indicated. Opponents of the proposal have said the project will lower property values for parts of the nearby neighborhood. However, O'Neill and his attorney Werner have said the project will not decrease property values. O'Neill also has submitted to the Planning Commission the names of more than 200 supporters of the project.

Officials also pondered what criteria should be used to consider the expansion. City officials said they don't have zoning codes for the type of facilities proposed in the project and eventually ruled that the project would be judged via criteria set up for apartment buildings. However, Werner challenged that ruling, saying he didn't think the apartment building criteria was proper for the Bradley Bay expansion project proposed by O'Neill.