Thegatewaynews.com - City gets a new planning director

by Miles Jung-Kilbreath

Reporter

Streetsboro -- Mayor Tom Wagner appointed Patrick Christie-Mizzell, former vice president of community and economic development for Clark Metro Development Corp., as the new city planning, zoning and economic director.

"He is just what Streetsboro needs," Wagner said. "He will bring a lot of energy to the position and he will do a good job."

Christie-Mizzell replaces Linda Kovacs.

City Council unanimously approved the appointment at a May 19 meeting on the condition members are able to review Christie-Mizzell's contract within the seven days Wagner has to sign the legislation, as set by the city charter. Christie-Mizzell's contract had not been drafted in time for the meeting.

Council also approved paying $80,000 annually for Christie-Mizzell, an increase of $21,367 over the $58,633 appropriated for the planning director position in the 2008 budget using money from the general fund.

Christie-Mizzell holds a master's degree in urban planning, design and development from the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

While Christie-Mizzell said there will be a "lot of work and a lot of challenges" as planning director, adding "it's great" to be working in Streetsboro.

In his work with Clark Metro, Christie-Mizzell said he was directly responsible for the administration of all community development block grants that were funded for community development programs, neighborhood service programming, and marketing.

Both Council members Art Scott and Regis Faivre both said they believe Christie-Mizzell is well qualified for the position.

"I think he will do well," Ward 2 Council member Emerylde Bradley said.

Wagner said that he had thought about hiring an additional planning department employee to work on economic development, but now believes that he and Christie-Mizzell can share the duty. With Christie-Mizzell focusing mostly on zoning, Wagner said the city may later hire some college interns to do the "leg work" on some economic development projects.

On Streetsboro planning

Christie-Mizzell said he applied for the planning director because it "seemed like a good opportunity." He said he believes the city has a strong commercial and retail presence and he hopes to expand development ideas in the city, citing the new Robinson Memorial Medical Arts Center as an example.

"It's really wide open what we can do here," Christie-Mizzell said.

The biggest challenge Christie-Mizzell said he would face taking the position would be the "lengthy" process of creating a new zoning master plan for the city. He said the master plan would have to be "revamped" rather than simply updating it since its last update in 1976.

"It will easily be our biggest challenge," he said. "It's important also with my role as economic developer that we create a competitive mix of zoning that we can work with."

Christie-Mizzell said he believes creating the master plan would also help the city prevent property owners from filing lawsuits against the city, claiming their land in "economically unviable" for development.

"I want to focus on having a very focal and stable update to the plan. We will look at what may be a viable use for property in keeping with area land use," he said.

Learning Streetsboro residents have the ability to pass or fail rezoning issues that affect building density on the election ballot, Christie-Mizzell said he likes having the public's input on zoning issues. He said he hopes to work on implementing new ideas into the city through public interaction.