March 4, 2025
From: Edward A. Jacak, Community Leader
North Royalton Flood Fight (Community Group)
8954 Albion Road, North Royalton, OH 44133
edward.jacak@NoRoFloodFight.com
To: The North Royalton Planning Commission
11545 Royalton Road, North Royalton, Ohio 44133
Re: Opposition to Ordinance 25-27 – Rezoning of PPN 482-04-015
Dear Members of the Planning Commission,
We are writing as residents of North Royalton and members of “North Royalton Flood Fight” (NoRoFloodFight.com), a newly formed community action group dedicated to addressing the city’s ongoing residential flooding crisis. We strongly oppose Ordinance 25-27, which seeks to rezone Permanent Parcel Number 482-04-015 from Public Facilities (PF) to Residential (R1-A) to allow a 29-lot cluster single-family home development at 9360 Albion Road. This proposal threatens to exacerbate flooding in our community, contradicting the claim of “no detrimental impact on public welfare” outlined in the application (Page 11).
North Royalton has a well-documented history of flooding that damages homes, disrupts lives, and strains city resources both downstream and upstream of the Albion Elementary Site. The proposed development’s location near Albion and York Roads—spanning 15.65 acres, as detailed in the legal description (Pages 7-9)—raises serious concerns about stormwater runoff and drainage capacity. Clustering 29 homes may preserve some open space to the north, but it concentrates impervious surfaces (roofs, driveways) that will increase runoff into already overburdened areas. The application’s assertion of “minimal impact” lacks evidence, such as a recent hydrological study, especially during heavy rain periods to substantiate how this development won’t worsen flooding downstream or nearby.
As the legal notice (Page 1) and Ordinance 25-27 (Page 2) state, this rezoning is deemed an “emergency measure” for “orderly development” and public welfare under North Royalton Codified Ordinances 1266.01, 1266.04, and 1220.06. However, rushing this approval without addressing flooding risks undermines that welfare. Residents like me have seen basements flood, yards erode, and streets close after heavy rains—problems the city has yet to fully resolve. Adding more homes without a clear mitigation plan violates the spirit of orderly development and threatens the health, safety, and property of existing taxpayers. Furthermore, considerations should be given to the City purchasing the property at a fair market price and place a ballot measure to a citizen vote, raising a needed bond to use purchase and purpose the property as a water reservoir to help solve ongoing downstream flooding and mitigate any potential for worse upstream up stream impact.
We urge the Planning Commission to:
- Deny the rezoning until a comprehensive flood impact study is conducted and made public.
- Require the applicant (North Royalton Board of Education) to propose specific stormwater management solutions, not just vague promises of tree preservation.
- Hold additional hearings to allow residents to present evidence of current flooding issues tied to this area’s topography and drainage patterns.
- Consider putting the choice to a vote of the people to raise a bond or supporting taxes to purchase and purpose the property for the greatest benefit to the entire community.
Please consider the photos and video to be presented at the meeting of flooding near Albion Road, flood records, and statements of the community as evidence of our concerns. We are available to discuss this further and can be reached at info@norofloodfight.com. North Royalton Flood Fight stands ready to work with the city to protect our community, but this development, as proposed, moves us backward.
Thank you for your attention to this critical matter.
Sincerely,
Edward A. Jacak, Community Leader
North Royalton Flood Fight
edward.jacak@norofloodfight.com
