Garrettsville – Planning Commission members present at the May 2nd meeting were Jeff Sheehan, Councilman Chris Knop, Jerry Kehoe, Councilman Tom Hardesty, Mayor Rick Patrick, Village Solicitor Michele Stuck, and Zoning Inspector Jan Boehm.
After the meeting was called to order and the minutes of the last meeting were approved the floor was opened to Ryan Stroup and Mark Mox of MDM LLC, and Paul Rubenson. The trio, speaking on behalf of their company and Danop LTD of Pittsburgh, were present to share preliminary plans for a proposed Taco Bell franchise in the village.
The new restaurant would be located across the street from McDonalds, on the land located at 8032, and 8046 State Street, necessitating the demolition of the current dilapidated structures on the site.
Mox walked the members through the preliminary site plan, sharing that the project includes 28 parking spaces, and seating for 40 diners. The perimeter of the project would be softened with 20-feet of grass between the neighboring properties, and landscaping where needed along the property boundaries.
Knop asked why a new structure was needed when two units remain available in the Pizza Hut building across the street. Reubenson explained that while Taco Bell pursued “co-branded” buildings in the past, it no longer considers such things to be ideal. He went on to explain that building their own structure allows the restaurant to be optimized for Taco Bell’s equipment, drive thru, and overall experience — allowing things to just “flow smoother” for the franchisees.
Knop also questioned why Taco Bell is proposing such a modern exterior. Pictures were shared of cottage-styled Taco Bell restaurants operated in Augusta, Maine. Reubenson shared that restaurants that do not meet Taco Bell’s branding style tend to perform poorly, and are unlikely to be attractive locations for franchisees. Taco Bell designs their buildings with a unique “Taco Bell flair,” and is unlikely to approve a design that is not in their set of four building styles. According to Reubenson, the design chosen for the Garrettsville site (a modern-looking box) is the most “toned down” that Taco Bell designs get.
Hardesty stated that while he understands the importance of branding, it’s not all that necessary in a small historic village like Garrettsville. The primary concern expressed by the commission is that sandwiching a harsh ultra modern structure between two century homes is not a good fit. They questioned if there was any type of compromise that could be made on the exterior to tone it down.
Hardesty went on to use the Dollar General, currently under construction at the intersection of Liberty and Windham Streets, as an example of compromise. When Dollar General originally approached the Village, they wanted to build one of their standard “pole-building and block” buildings on the site. The Village and Dollar General worked together to modify the plans in a way that will result in a more attractive building. Reubenson agreed that he could take the Planning Commission’s requests for a softer look back to Taco Bell for their approval.
The commission also pushed the trio for landscaping along the back of the property, and the eastern (Farley Building) side of the property.
The members of the Planning Commission stressed that their feedback at the meeting that night was not intended to be taken as dismissive of the project. They are making sure that if the project is eventually approved, it will not take away from the small town charm of the community.
It was decided that some of the planning commission members would make a site visit this Thursday to get a better idea of the project area.
Further news of the project is sure to pop up over the next 3-4 months, as at least one more trip to Planning, and the Board of Zoning Appeals will be required.
