Bradley Bay proposal back to Planning Commission
By Jeff Gallatin
Bay Village
Published Jan. 11, 2006

It’s back to the planning commission for a controversial proposed expansion of the Bradley Bay Health Care Center after the Board of Zoning Appeals approved two variances for the proposal last week.

Officials have set the latest hearing before the Planning Commission for Jan. 24. The Jan. 5 approval by the board came despite a group of about 20 city residents of the city opposed to the multi-million dollar project, which would add 32 independent living suites and an Alzheimer’s patient unit to the facility. A smaller group of members of the O’Neill family, which owns Bradley Bay was also present, along with a man who expressed support for the project and his wife.

Residents of the area opposed to the project said they do not feel they have been properly heard by city boards and officials about their feelings on the proposal.

“Why is it this board can go into great detail in checking other proposals to make sure they have items done correctly and that it won’t bother other people but when it comes to this proposal we can’t be heard,” one woman told board members.

Both John O’Neill Sr. and his son, who operates the facility, said they have tried to be fair to residents around Bradley Bay both when it comes to this proposal and in all the years since the facility opened in 1962. The younger O’Neill said the proposal was on its third set of site plans and that they hoped this would be the last one.

“We’ve had so many years of good service and we’ve had a lot of people come to us and tell us they’re all for this,” O’Neill Jr. said. “This is an instance where we’re trying to develop a project which we believe would provide a service for many people in the area and better the community.”

In approving the variances, board members approved a 10-foot variance on the required minimum rear year depth by allowing the facility to have a 40-foot depth instead of 50. It also approved a variance on whether the expansion on a minimum lot size per family unit, with Bradley Bay officials saying the living quarters should not be considered a family living unit like a house or condominium.

In approving the variances, board members Terrance Burke, Mark Chernisky, Jack Norton, Gordon Taylor and Barry Tyo voting for them. Paul Campbell voted against them and Tony Dostal was absent.

Bay Village Law Director Gary Ebert told the board that if it approved the variance pertaining to family dwellings it would effectively overrule city Building Director Doug Milburn in a December memo he had sent out about the matter. This drew several angry comments from Attorney Gerald Phillips, saying Ebert should not be telling the board this.

Two lawsuits have already been filed as a result of the proposal, with others possible depending on the final city decision on the matter. The planning commission could have the final municipal say on the matter, although the Bradley Bay officials have the option of appealing the commission’s decision to city council.

During discussion, Norton reminded the crowd that many of the items they were citing in opposition had already been dealt with and that they should stick to the items being considered by the board that night. He also told the Bradley Bay officials that he hoped they would make sure there is adequate buffering all the way around the facility between it and the residents if the project does proceed.