Mentor moves closer to conserving 215 acres it owns in Painesville, over objection of Painesville leaders

MENTOR, Ohio – Mentor City Council voted Tuesday night to continue its efforts to conserve 215 acres it owns in Painesville, over the objection of Painesville leaders who would prefer the land instead remain an option for future economic development.

Final approval could come at the next council meeting in March.

The ordinance received approval by a 7-2 vote during its second reading on Tuesday, with Scott Marn and Matthew Donovan voting against.

Council did not publicly discuss the issue during the meeting. Yet after the vote, during a separate public discussion period, several people voiced their concerns

Mentor acquired the land at the end of 2019 from Shamrock Business Center Ltd., according to Lake County property records. Shamrock was the name used there by Forest City Enterprises Inc. of Cleveland, which in 2012 said it planned to shed 963 acres of undeveloped property it owned in Ohio.

County records do not show the amount Mentor paid, though the City of Painesville has said it was $800,000.

Mentor plans to use the land for conservation, which would prevent future development. Painesville officials say this could derail plans to create a proposed interchange off Shamrock Boulevard and Jackson Street.

In claiming the potential for the creation of “hundred and thousands of jobs” and a huge economic impact at the site, Jim Fodor, president of the Painesville City Council, brought up the possibility of a “mutual benefit approach” based on previous talks between the two city councils.

This approach would allow Mentor and Painesville to split profits from the land.

“You may ask, ‘It’s only 215 acres. Why is it so important?’ Well, Painesville is 6.83 square miles. Mentor is 27.8 square miles. What that means is 215 acres for us is a huge economic development that really has an impact on Painesville,” Fodor said.

Painesville school board member Dorothy Jennings also spoke out against the proposal. And a representative for HOLA Ohio, a Painesville-based nonprofit organization that serves the Hispanic community, read a statement on behalf of Veronica Dahlberg, its founding executive director, expressing concerns for Painesville Hispanic community, many of whom are immigrants.

“There is a need for access to high quality jobs that provide good wages and opportunities for career advancement,” her statement said. “The property represents the future of residents of Paynesville, and it’s appropriate that the residents, including Hispanic residents should have a voice in how it’s used.”

Chris Lee, a vice president with the Lake County NAACP, reading a statement from the organization’s president, Pam Morris, said “Placing this land into conservation would effectively prohibit its development, which would hinder the opportunity for people of color to obtain good paying jobs. Additionally, it may restrict future opportunities for new housing.”

©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.