City Of Akron And City Of Cuyahoga Falls Hosting Public Charrette Focused On Design For The Merriman Valley Schumacher Study Area

Press release from the City of Akron:

August 11, 2021

City of Akron Press Release

Akron, Ohio, August 11, 2021 — The cities of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls invite the public to participate in the creation of a Master Plan that will guide the future of the Merriman Valley and Schumacher areas. Next week, August 17 – 19, urban planners Farr Associates and their team of consultants will be doing a design charrette in the Merriman Valley Schumacher study area. A charrette is a focused period of design activity that takes place over several days. The consultants will be working on site and engaging with stakeholders in a collaborative process where public concerns and aspirations can be incorporated into the design in real time. The goal is to successfully translate diverse stakeholder input into a mutually agreed upon Master Plan.

The charrette will take place at Todaro’s Party Center located at 1820 Akron Peninsula Road in Akron. Masks will be required for anyone attending any of the events listed below. They will be provided for anyone that does not have one.

SCHEDULE FOR THE 3-DAY PUBLIC PLANNING CHARRETTE

Public Workshop #2 – Scenario EvaluationTuesday, August 17, 2021: 5:30 – 7:00 pmLive Event at Todaro’s

Open Studio TimeWednesday and Thursday, August 18 & 19, 10:00 am – noon, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pmIn person at Todaro’s

Public Workshop #3 – Preferred Plan PresentationThursday, August 19, 2021: 5:30 – 7:00 pmLive Event at Todaro’s

After a robust virtual discussion at Public Workshop #1 that took place on July 15, Farr Associates has continued to gather data and incorporate public feedback into several possible Master Plan scenarios. At Public Workshop #2 on August 17, Farr Associates will present various plan scenarios and highlight the strengths, challenges, and overall potential of each. Attendees will be able to participate in ranking and feedback exercises that will help the design team better understand community preferences for each option. The following two days, members of the public are welcome to stop by the charrette studio at Todaro’s Party Center during open studio times to see the design process in action and share ideas with the design team. At Public Workshop #3 on the final night of the charrette, August 19, Farr Associates will present the Preferred Plan to the public for another round of feedback.

The City of Akron and the City of Cuyahoga Falls are collaborating on this master planning process for the Merriman Valley and Schumacher areas of our cities. Farr Associates is a nationally recognized planning firm that specializes in urban design, sustainable architecture, and environmentally-sensitive design. Through this planning process, the two cities hope to ensure that the Merriman Valley and Schumacher neighborhoods become more walkable, healthy, equitable, beautiful, and resilient places to live, work, and play.

To learn more about the Master Plan, visit Akron's website here or Cuyahoga Falls' website here.

For any questions/comments regarding the Merriman Valley & Schumacher Area Master Plan:

In Akron, call: 330-375-2090, or email ValleyPlan@akronohio.gov.In Cuyahoga Falls, call: 330-971-8135, or email development@cityofcf.com.

For further information, contact:
City of Akron Press Office
Phone: 330-375-2754
E-mail: press@akronohio.gov

This press release was produced by the City of Akron. The views expressed here are the author’s own.