COUNTY PLANNING NEWSLETTER

August 2026

Planning for West 117th Street Set to Begin

In coordination with the Cities of Cleveland and Lakewood, County Planning is conducting a plan along W. 117th Street to explore multi-modal improvements and redevelopment opportunities. W. 117th Street is a major residential, retail, and industrial corridor connecting established residential neighborhoods and key commercial and industrial nodes. This plan will focus on a 1.1-mile stretch of W. 117th Street from Edgewater Drive near the lakefront south to Berea Road, and anchored by the W. 117th - Madison Station. This plan will explore issues and opportunities related to:

• Roadway conditions and configurations
• Bicycle and pedestrian connections
• Transit access
• Overall corridor safety
• Development opportunities

The W. 117th Street Corridor Plan is expected to be completed by July 2028. There will be various opportunities for residents, business owners, and other stakeholders to share their ideas and give input throughout the project, including both in-person and online options.

21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Passes

County Planning is celebrating the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which became law on July 11. This bipartisan legislation aims to address housing issues across the nation and includes support for zoning reform and housing plans. With provisions related to housing supply, financing, homelessness, veterans' housing, and disaster recovery, it is intended to help expand housing supply and make housing more affordable.

Funding opportunities arising from the passage of this law will likely favor communities that are prepared. This can include: 

• Collecting baseline housing data and completing a housing needs assessment 
• Identifying priority housing sites
• Untaking a review of zoning barriers and preparing a housing implementation strategy
• Creating an adaptive re-use inventory
• Identifying projects that could move within 1-3 years

For more information, read the Ohio Chapter of the American Planning Association's special report titled The Housing Game Has Changed: What Ohio Planners Need to Know About the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Law.

Recording of Grant Funding Workshop Available

With a new round of the state infrastructure programs underway, the District One Public Works Integrating Committee staff hosted an applicant workshop on July 23. A recording of the webinar and the slide deck are available for viewing. The program offers grants and loans for infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, septic conversions, and water supply and distribution systems. This round has approximately $35 million available for projects in Cuyahoga County, with additional funding available for communities with populations of 5,000 and under. More information about this program, along with historical grant award data, is available on our site. Applications are due by September 10.

Community Outreach Activities

• Community input is a vital part of the planning process, and the priorities we hear from residents are reflected in the recommendations in every plan we produce. In July, the County Planning team working on the Bedford Master Plan attended the Bedford Liberty Days celebration to gather feedback from the community.
• County Planning's Dan Meaney, Manager of Research and Information Services, was recently interviewed by Spectrum News 1 as part of story about the grant that Cleveland received from the Bezos Earth Fund and the Cuyahoga County Climate Change Vulnerability Map.

Bike-with-a-Mayor Rides in August

Several Cuyahoga County communities have Bike-with-a-Mayor rides scheduled for August. Residents can join their mayor and other leaders to learn about bicycling assets in their neighborhoods and to discuss opportunities for future enhancements.

• Shaker Heights: Tuesday, August 11 at 6:30 p.m.
• Solon: Sunday, August 16 at 8:30 a.m.
• Cleveland Heights: Thursday, August 27 at 6:00 p.m.
• Garfield Heights: Monday, August 31 at 6:00 p.m.

Mayor Weiss of University Heights hosted a special Bike-with-a-Mayor ride for kids in July.

Thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter! If you found the information valuable, please consider forwarding it to a friend or colleague. Please let us know if there are opportunities for us to collaborate with you.

Cuyahoga County Planning Commission

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