If you live, work, or play in the Cuyahoga Valley, this is the week to make your opinions heard. Is the future that is being planned for the southern end of the Valley, the future you want to see here?
Farr Associates, the planning firm hired by the cities of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, will be holding a series of public planning sessions this week. We believe these are the only opportunities for public input before final plans are drawn up by Farr Associates.
If you share Preserve the Valley's concerns about the speed of the planning process and the limited citizen involvement so far, we strongly encourage you to attend these sessions. Questions like these may be on the table: Should big box retailers be brought here? Should more housing be added? Should redevelopment or development be prioritized? Should the current city-owned greenspaces in the Valley be protected? The answers to these questions could have the potential to affect the Valley for years to come.
Sessions will take place Todaro's Party Center located at 1820 Akron Peninsula Rd. Masks are required and will be provided to anyone who doesn't have one. Note: August 19 is a Blossom concert night, so plan your travel route accordingly. Any questions about the sessions should be directed to the contacts listed on City of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls master planning sites.
Public Workshop #1, August 17, 5:30 - 7 pm. Farr Associates will present plan scenarios for the Merriman Valley area and highlight the strengths, challenges, and overall potential of each. Attendees will participate in ranking and feedback exercises that will help the Farr team understand community preferences.
Public Walk-In Times, August 18 and 19, 10 - noon, 12:30 - 3 pm. The public can stop by the design studio at Todaro’s Party Center during these "open studio" times to see the design process and talk with the Farr team.
Public Workshop #2, August 19, 5:30 - 7 pm. Farr Associates will present the Preferred Plan to the public for another round of feedback.
Thank you to all who participated in PTV's August 11 meeting on Gateway Communities focusing on the assets of this region that need to be protected and preserved. The August 11 presentation is available for viewing here on our Facebook page if you'd like to learn more.
Here’s Where We Stand
Preserve the Valley believes any proposed master plan should recognize the Cuyahoga Valley as a Gateway Community because of its wealth of natural, cultural, historical, and recreational assets. We believe a master plan should:
• First and foremost, do no harm to the existing natural assets
of this region (Cuyahoga River and parks)
• Support incentives & preference for re-development over development
• Prioritize the preservation of current City of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls public (citizen-owned) greenspace properties
• Support incentives/preference for local businesses over big box stores
• Support the growing recreational economy
• Provide transparency and equal access to planning
decisions for citizens