City Council Grinding Gears Over RV Proposal

The developer of the Villas of Stonebridge Crossing off Fishcreek Road would like to park a large recreational vehicle just inside the subdivision entrance to serve as a sales office for the next six months, but gaining the city's approval isn’t a sure thing.

Roger Puzzitiello of Strongsville, president of Parkview Custom Homes LLC, is requesting a conditional zoning certificate to park the custom-painted RV, which advertises his company, along Danforth Reserve Drive.

During a City Council planning committee meeting on Tuesday, Sara Drew, an at-large council member, said she has heard from numerous city residents who oppose the idea of a trailer parked alongside Fishcreek.

Ward III Councilman John Pribonic pointed out that city laws prohibit the parking of commercial vehicles in residential areas.

Rob Kurtz, the assistant city planning director, countered saying that the sales trailer meets the definition of a recreational vehicle and, therefore, would be conditionally permitted if approved by council this Thursday.

Puzzitiello said the Villas of Stonebridge Crossing, which broke ground in 2002, has 16 lots that remain undeveloped. He said the subdivision currently contains 60 homes with an average sale price of $300,000.

During the subdivision’s first year, Parkview conducted its sales business from a model home that later sold. Others were built over the years to continue giving the company a presence within the development.

Puzzitiello said that due to the “banking crisis and downfall of the housing industry, banks required us to sell off all our models … Right now banks are not giving us lending for models. Not even for spec homes.”

The company has secured alternative financing to build a spec home to serve as Parkview’s next sales office. However, “we can’t conduct business out of that house while it’s under construction” over the next six months, he said. 

Thus, the need for a temporary 10- by 24-foot RV office.  

By not having a presence within the subdivision, Parkview is “missing opportunities to sell houses there,” Puzzitiello said.

Drew questioned why the vehicle couldn’t be parked on one of the empty lots toward the back of the neighborhood.

“We want as much street traffic (exposure) as possible,” Puzzitiello explained. “To have it tucked away in the back of the subdivision is not helpful to us as a marketing and sales tool.”

Pribonic said he’d prefer to have the RV moved when not in use “rather than a trailer just being plopped there.” Puzzitiello said that would present “a hardship” for his company and its part-time sales staff member.

Janet D’Antonia, an at-large council member, voiced concern about how long the RV would be parked alongside Fishcreek, and questioned what would happen when the conditional zoning certificate expired at the end of six months.

“This is a big vehicle,” D’Antonia said. “These are very expensive homes (and) if I lived there, I wouldn’t like to have a trailer (parked there).”

Kurtz said there’s a precedent in the city, as similar “trailers have been approved in the past.”

Ronald Roth, president of the subdivision’s five-member homeowners association, said neighbors “have all been informed of the facts and are in support” of the temporary RV office.