PUBLIC HEARING: Municipal Planning Commission, August 14, 2025 – City of Mentor, Ohio

Report on Mentor Municipal Planning Commission Public Hearing Agenda

Hearing Details

• Governing Body: Mentor Municipal Planning Commission
• Date: August 14, 2025
• Time: 7:00 p.m.
• Location: Council Chambers, Mentor Municipal Center, 8500 Civic Center Boulevard, Mentor, Ohio
• Purpose: Consideration of Conditional Use Permits in accordance with Section 1135.03 of Mentor’s Code of Ordinances.

Analysis of Agenda Items and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Implications

1. Proposal: Wireless Telecommunications Tower

   • Applicant: Northstar Towers & City of Mentor
   • Location: 6929 Heisley Road (R-4, Single Family Residential District)
   • Objective: To secure a Conditional Use Permit for the construction of a wireless telecommunications tower.

   SDG Analysis

   • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: This project directly supports Target 9.c by seeking to significantly increase access to information and communications technology. The tower is a critical piece of infrastructure for universal and affordable internet access.
   • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: Reliable communication networks are fundamental to creating resilient and technologically advanced communities. This infrastructure enhances public safety communication and supports smart city initiatives.
   • SDG 15: Life on Land: The permit process must ensure the project’s development minimizes its environmental footprint, protecting local biodiversity and land ecosystems as per Target 15.5.

2. Proposal: Veterinary Clinic

   • Applicant: PetVetDVM LLC & Mentor Corners OH LLC
   • Location: 8900 Mentor Avenue, Unit B (B-2, General Business District)
   • Objective: To secure a Conditional Use Permit to operate a veterinary clinic.

   SDG Analysis

   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: By providing animal healthcare, the clinic contributes to the “One Health” approach, recognizing the link between animal, human, and environmental health, which is crucial for combating zoonotic diseases.
   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The establishment of a new clinic promotes sustained, inclusive economic growth by creating local employment opportunities and contributing to the local service economy.

3. Proposal: Service Station, Drive-Thru, and Outside Dining (Sheetz)

   • Applicant: Sheetz, Inc. & Heisley Hendrix Properties LLC
   • Location: 6010 Heisley Road (B-2, General Business District/M-1, Light Manufacturing District)
   • Objective: To secure three separate Conditional Use Permits for a service station, a drive-thru facility, and an area for outside dining and drinking.

   SDG Analysis

   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: This multi-faceted commercial development will generate multiple jobs, fostering local economic growth and diversification.
   • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The project’s design must be carefully evaluated for its impact on local traffic, air quality, and land use. Sustainable urban planning principles should be applied to mitigate negative externalities and ensure the development enhances community life.
   • SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The operational plan for the facility should incorporate sustainable practices, such as waste reduction and recycling programs, energy-efficient lighting, and water conservation measures, to align with responsible production patterns.

4. Proposal: Commercial Building Height Variance

   • Applicant: Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.
   • Location: 7850 Mentor Avenue, Unit 100 (B-2, General Business District)
   • Objective: To secure a Conditional Use Permit to allow a commercial building to exceed the standard 35-foot height limit.

   SDG Analysis

   • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The construction of a larger commercial building presents an opportunity to incorporate innovative and resilient infrastructure, such as green building materials, energy-efficient systems (HVAC, lighting), and sustainable water management, contributing to Target 9.4.
   • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The permit review must assess the building’s impact on the urban landscape and ensure that its increased height and scale are integrated into an inclusive and sustainable urban planning framework that considers visual impact, public space, and resource efficiency.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• The article announces a public hearing for a Conditional Use Permit to allow a “WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOWER”. This directly relates to the development of infrastructure, specifically for information and communications technology (ICT).

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The entire article is a notice from the “Mentor Municipal Planning Commission” regarding a public hearing on land use. This process of planning, zoning (mentioning R-4, B-2, and M-1 districts), and managing urban development is the core of creating sustainable cities. The public hearing itself is a mechanism for participatory planning.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article lists several applications for new commercial enterprises, including a “VETERINARY CLINIC”, a “SERVICE STATION (SHEETZ)”, and a large “COMMERCIAL BUILDING” for Dick’s Sporting Goods. The approval and construction of these businesses would lead to job creation and promote local economic activity.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

Under SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

1. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all. The proposed “WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOWER” is a key piece of modern communication infrastructure intended to improve service and reliability for the community.
2. Target 9.c: Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet. The telecommunications tower directly serves this target by expanding the network coverage and capacity, thereby increasing access to ICT for residents and businesses in the area.

Under SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

1. Target 11.3: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries. The article is a notice for a “Public Hearing” by the “Municipal Planning Commission,” which is a direct example of a participatory process for human settlement planning and management, allowing for public input on development projects.
2. Target 11.a: Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning. The commission’s work in reviewing conditional use permits within specific zoning districts (e.g., “R-4, Single Family Residential District”, “B-2, General Business District”) is a form of local development planning that manages economic and social development.

Under SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

1. Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. The Planning Commission’s process of issuing permits for new businesses like “PetVetDVM LLC,” “Sheetz, Inc.,” and “Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.” is a development-oriented policy that enables entrepreneurship and supports the creation of new jobs.

Implied Indicators for Measuring Progress

For Target 9.c

• Indicator 9.c.1: Proportion of population covered by a mobile network, by technology. The construction of the new “WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOWER” would be a direct action to increase this proportion, and its impact could be measured by tracking the change in mobile network coverage and signal strength in the surrounding area.

For Target 11.3

• Indicator 11.3.2: Proportion of cities with a direct participation structure of civil society in urban planning and management that operate regularly and democratically. The article itself is evidence of such a structure. The existence and regular operation of the “Mentor Municipal Planning Commission” and its “Public Hearing” process serve as a qualitative indicator that this target is being met.

For Target 8.3

• The article implies progress can be measured by the number of new businesses established and the subsequent jobs created. While not a formal UN indicator, the approval of permits for “PetVetDVM LLC,” “Sheetz, Inc.,” and “Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.” would be a direct measure of policy implementation that supports entrepreneurship and job creation. The number of jobs created by these specific projects could be tracked.

Summary of Findings

Source: cityofmentor.com