Planning Commission Favors Wine Bar Proposal, But Wants Some Changes

The owners of the told the Solon Planning Commission that they want to do something different in the historic business district.

Richard Alaimo said he would love to see the area developing into a quaint, pedestrian-friendly area filled with restaurants and boutiques, similar to downtown Chagrin Falls.

Planning Commission members said they like the idea and generally favor the applicants' project, which is to turn an old historic building at 33325 Bainbridge Road into a wine bar, with an outdoor patio and bocce court.

But members said they needed some more information before voting on the project, including a revised landscaping plan, a finalized cross-easement to share parking spaces with the funeral home next door, a proposal for dealing with stormwater and changes to some design features, including lighting and fencing.

Planning Commission Chairman William Mazur said he supported the project – he stressed that he would like a wrought-iron fence instead of a wooden picket fence – and that it fit with the vision the city had for the historic district.

"If you don’t try something you won’t know whether it will be successful or not," he said.

The bar appears to have enough support from the planning commission to install the bocce court on the property. Alaimo said the court is a key feature that will provide unique fun that will help the bar stand out.

"We want to put this wine bar in Solon, with this location and with the bocce ball court because we want to do it and it’s going to be a little bit different," Alaimo said.

The planning commission could take the proposal up again at its next meeting in February at the earliest. If the commission approves it, the proposal will then be forwarded to city council for consideration.