NORTH CANTON – City Council has adopted a long-discussed Main Street zoning overhaul.
Main Street will now be split into five new zoning districts Main Street North Gateway, Main Street North, Main Street Center, Main Street South and Main Street South Gateway each with specific zoning regulations.
The plan, titled Zoning for North Canton s Second Century, is aimed at attracting new businesses and other ventures to the main corridor, as well as making the city more attractive to young families and professionals.
North Canton has made several attempts at revamping Main Street. The current plan has been in the works since 2018 when the city first adopted a Main Street Business District zoning plan. That zoning was recently repealed to make way for the new plan.
The changes were introduced earlier this month and approved on emergency Friday.
Councilman Mark Cerreta, at-large, has been the lone dissenting vote on the DORA , describing it as mirage legislation. It s trying to be something we re not right now, he said at Monday s council meeting.
Council also approved adjusting the language of potential fire and EMS levies that could appear on the ballot in November, following discussions with the Stark County Auditor s Office.
The proposed EMS levy would now ask voters to approve a five-year levy renewal and a increase of 3.3 mills for ambulance and emergency medical services.
The proposed fire levy would now ask voters to approve a five-year 1.5-mill levy for fire equipment and personnel costs.
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What is North Canton s argument for the levies? In general, we are woefully short, said City Administrator Patrick DeOrio in a presentation to City Council.
Calls for service and the cost of operating the fire and EMS departments have gone up year after year, but the money generated by current levies has stayed flat, he said. We re going to reach a point where so much of the general fund is being transferred over to maintain these operations, there s not going to be funds available for the other things the city desperately needs to be doing, he said.
Who supports North Canton s EMS and fire departments?
NORTH CANTON City water and sewer customers could see a rate increase over the next few years.
City Council has introduced legislation that would raise water rates by 5% in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and by 3% in 2025 and 2026.
It would be the first rate increase since 2017.
The proposed hikes are based on a study of how much it costs the city to operate and maintain its water supply, said City Administrator Patrick DeOrio.
The city will perform another water rate study in 2024.
The city also is recommending a $1.05-per-month increase in North Canton sewer rates, he said.
The city has no control over Stark County or Canton sewer rates, DeOrio said.