Home Care In Broadview Heights, OH

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Voters here will decide in November whether the city should prohibit any further construction of townhomes, townhome subdivisions or apartments in Broadview Heights, except for in the center of town.

If approved, Issue 25 would remove B-1 zoning -- which permits and regulates the development of townhome condominiums -- from the municipal zoning code.

Issue 26 would remove B-2 zoning -- which permits and regulates the development of townhomes and apartments -- from the city code.

City Council President Robert Boldt, who helped lead the effort to present the B-1 and B-2 issues to voters, has stated that townhomes don’t fit in or near Broadview Heights’ single-family-home neighborhoods.

Yet the last two or three subdivisions proposed in the city have been townhome developments.

These include Bordeaux Crossings, which will consist of 60 townhomes on 15 acres at the northeast corner of Broadview and Boston roads. The developer is Petros Development Group in Broadview Heights.

A rezoning to B-1 that made Bordeaux Crossings possible was approved by voters in November 2022. It passed by 77 votes.

One month later, council pushed back against Bordeaux Crossing, saying the development was too dense and would increase traffic too much. Nevertheless, council approved the subdivision this past summer.

Issues 25 and 26 will appear on the ballot Nov. 7. Early voting started Oct. 11.

In the meantime, a nine-month moratorium on any new residential developments, which council passed in April, will remain in effect until January.

Joe Mandato, the city’s chief building official, said earlier this year that the most significant difference between the B-1 and B-2 zoning classifications is that B-2 requires wider spaces between buildings, while in B-1 developers can cluster all the homes together and leave large green spaces.

According to meeting minutes, the discussion about townhome zoning started at the March 8 and March 22 Planning Commission meetings, where Boldt expressed concern about houses “on top of each other” in newer residential developments.

Boldt said he didn’t oppose townhomes in the center of town -- where the city has been trying to create mixed-use districts featuring office, retail and residential -- but didn’t like townhomes in exclusively residential areas, where he said housing should be restricted to single-family homes.

At the time, planning commissioner Bill Ridgeway recommended dissolving B-1 zoning, calling the zoning classification “just awful.”

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BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The city has rejected two proposals -- one involving two hotels and the other a sports complex -- for about 22 acres of municipally owned land off Ohio 82 just west of Interstate 77.

Eugene Esser, Broadview Heights’ acting engineer, said both developers were unwilling to meet the city’s minimum asking price for the land.

The city wanted at least $700,000 for one parcel, $400,000 for a second parcel or $1 million for both parcels.

Esser said the city will re-evaluate the development project and seek new proposals in spring 2024.

The city advertised for proposals in June and received two purchase offers in July for the 22 acres, which are at the end of Treeworth Boulevard off the north side of Ohio 82 and about 2,000 feet west of I-77.

Development of the 22 acres is part of a larger project on Treeworth. In 2022, the city purchased 44.5 acres there, with plans to develop part of the property, plus two additional lots under different ownership, and preserve the rest.

Earlier this year, the city sold 23 of its 44.5 acres to West Creek Conservancy, a Parma-based land preservation group, for $185,000. West Creek plans to preserve the land.

The city also plans to extend Treeworth, now a dead-end north of Ohio 82, about 600 feet and end the road in a cul-de-sac. The extended road will provide access both to the preserved area and to new businesses.

The larger project also includes the relocation of Fleet Team Inc., an Independence fleet-management company, to a building formerly occupied by Vatterott College.

Hotel horizon

Nisarg Patel -- of Oakwood-based Steel & Liberty LLC, a hotel developer -- proposed building an “upper midscale, focused and limited-service hotel” with between 96 and 108 rooms at the end of Treeworth. Possible brands included Marriott, Hilton and IHG.

The Vindicator reported in April that Steel & Liberty formed in October, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.

In his proposal to the city, Patel said Broadview Heights now lacks a limited-service hotel by recognized brands. He said such a hotel is needed to accommodate corporate travelers.

“Our proposed limited-service hotel development will generate more revenue than any other commercial/residential project of similar size,” Patel said.

“Most importantly, (it) requires little (or no) social or public infrastructure ... with no additional burden placed on schools and little pressure on park use,” Patel said.

Patel asked for a 15-year, 75 percent tax abatement for the new hotel. He said it would have to stand at least four stories.

Patel said he has been involved in the construction of an 86-room Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton in Oakwood. Another project under development is a 96-room Townplace Suites by Marriott in Liberty Township.

A second hotel on the Treeworth land would constitute a second phase of the project. Construction on that hotel wouldn’t start until seven to nine years after the opening of the first hotel, Patel said.

Sports galore

Larry Zajac, a North Royalton High School graduate, proposed a state-of-the-art sports training and competition complex for the land on Treeworth.

In his proposal to the city, Zajac said he has more than 20 years of experience in the sports and recreation industry and has coached sports teams.

He said he has owned businesses, but didn’t say where he worked or which businesses he owned.

“The new facility will provide Northeast Ohio with a state-of-the-art training and competition complex,” Zajac said in his proposal. “This will be a premier sports destination.”

Zajac said the complex would include indoor and outdoor areas for soccer, baseball, football, lacrosse, golf, basketball, volleyball and pickleball.

It would also have medical offices, retail stores and restaurants.

“Our patrons will have access to state-of-the-art training technology and first-class facilities,” Zajac said. “We will attract the region’s top athletes, leagues and tournaments.”

Zajac offered to buy two of the city-owned lots on Treeworth for a total of $350,000, below the city’s minimum asking price.

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio (WJW) — Broadview Heights was among the multiple fire departments that responded to the deadly explosion at an Oakwood Village metal manufacturing plant Monday.

“The debris field looked like a 100 yards of block and rebar,” said Lt. Jay Gaiser.

Gaiser said his squad wasn’t needed on scene at the I. Schumann and Company foundry. However, they started fielding calls from residents as soon as they returned to base.

“We started receiving calls around 4:30 about a burning rubber smell,” said Gaiser.

Ohio Department of Transportation video, obtained by FOX 8 via public records request and seen in the player above, shows the moments the explosion occurred around 2:30 p.m. The camera looking south on I-271 shows the magnitude of the smoke plume.

The haze and smell from the fire traveled through nearby communities. Fire departments, as far as Broadview Heights and Seven Hills, all took odor complaint calls from residents related to the explosion.

“We brought our meters to make sure everything was okay and safe and to reassure them,” said Gaiser.

Thirteen people were rushed to area hospitals and one person passed away following the massive explosion.

“I hear a big boom and look over and see the plume of smoke and then the explosion and I ducked and covered for a little while and then I look and all the walls are gone,“ said Joey Sacrconi, who works across the street and was returning from lunch when the explosion happened, but luckily missed him.

Firefighters and first responders from multiple communities raced to the scene but it took hours to control the blaze and rescue those inside.

“We realized there were several injured people inside the building so we established an EMS sector and began triaging patients,” said Capt. Brian DiRocco with Oakwood Village Fire Department. “A lot of burn injuries like the walking wounded coming up to us.”

Incredibly, no one was injured by the flying debris, but multiple vehicles were damaged, some crushed and others caught fire.

Ed Soukup works across the street. His car was damaged but he was more concerned for the workers at the foundry, “You know I’m just praying for these men and women in there it’s just terrible.”

The State Fire Marshal and ATF agents responded and began investigating. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner also responded and later posted that one person had passed away.

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio — You never know the difference you'll make in just one person's day. That's the motto John Korfhage lives by.

As a bus driver for Brecksville-Broadview Heights School District, he has an important job: Keeping the kids safe and happy each and every day.

A typical day for John starts with safety checks on the bus. Then, it's all aboard for the kids, treated to his jokes, daily.

"It's time for the joke of the day!" John tells the bus.

Being with the students, makes him smile.

"I just have a good time with the kids," he said.

But it's not just about a fun ride for the students. Without knowing it, John is making a difference in their lives with pure kindness.

A few weeks ago, 3News received an email from Dianne Maddox. Her grandson Tristan is in kindergarten and rides with bus driver John every day.

"The bus went down the street where my mom and dad live due to some local construction. My grandson noticed he went by his great grandma and great grandpa's house, so he told me. I asked the driver the next day the route he was taking, and yes, they went past my mom and dad's house," Dianne said in her email. "After bus driver John figured out which house, he started honking and all the kids wave (I think he makes an announcement to the students on the bus) at my grandson's great grandma and great grandpa every morning."

"We go by the house every day, so I always tell the kids ... I honk and they wave," John said.

"I’m sure he could go a different route but bus driver John makes sure every day they all wave to them as they stand on the porch and wave. It brings such joy to my parents and my grandson," Dianne wrote.

The thoughtful gesture does more for Tristan's great grandparents than John realizes.

"It takes nothing for a smile," he said.

"John is a special guy. He smiles every day he comes in, loves what he does, and loves the kids. And that's what I think makes him a special guy. He loves the kids," said Fonzie Culver, transportation director for Brecksville-Broadview Heights.

John says, it's about doing what he loves with the kids that make his day each morning.

"Driving the bus is easy. I was in the trucking industry for 40 years and I was with people every day. All kinds of people. And the kids, you know, the kids are extension of my own kids. I have two boys and they're grown. So this part's easy. I just have fun with the kids," John said.

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This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

[Editor’s Note: The video above is about how a local group helped FOX 8’s Stefani Schaefer say goodbye to beloved family pet.]

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) – An effort to bring home a missing dog in Broadview Heights is gaining traction across social media.

The reward for the lost purebred Siberian Husky has grown to $5,000.

The dog’s owner, Kelly Magalski, tells FOX 8 that since creating a Facebook group called “Bring Buck Home” they have had the support of neighbors and strangers.

“Our dogs are our kids,” said Magalski.

Buck has now been missing for more than a month. The 15-month-old ran off from the couple’s home near Egerton Road on January 23, 2023.

Magalski said they had just recently installed an invisible fence and were in the process of training Buck when he wandered off.

Buck was spotted the following day on a nearby camera, but since then there haven’t been any confirmed sightings.

Magalski said, they’re not sure if Buck wandered to a nearby turnpike plaza and was picked up by a truck driver, if someone nearby has him, or if he’s still running loose.

“I don’t feel he is dead — I just don’t,” said Magalski. “I will never give up hope. I will never give up looking for him.”

A virtual flyer showing Buck has been shared across social media thousands of times, and has garnered many possible leads- but no success. The couple has even sought the help of professional dog trackers.

The Bring Buck Home Facebook page now has hundreds of followers. Magalski says despite the outcome for Buck, she plans to use the platform as an opportunity to help others who are missing family pets. She also said if someone does bring Buck home, and they don’t want the $5,000 reward, the money will be donated to a charity of choice.

Buck is microchipped and is wearing two collars – a red one that is used with the invisible fence and a black and white Harley Davidson collar with tags.

Anyone with information is asked to call 440-829-0960.