On the agenda: Cortland 07-13-26 — Data Center (Jul 13)

PLANNING, ZONING & BUILDING COMMISSION
CITY HALL

July 13,

26

The City of Cortland Planning, Zoning & Building Commission met on Monday,
July 13, 2026 at 7:00 P.M. at the City Administration Building, 400 N. High Street,
Cortland, Ohio for a Regular Meeting. In attendance were the following board
members: Donald Fatobene, Curt Moll, Brian Hodor and Robert Wilson. Also
present were Mayor Jim Bradley, Law Director Patrick Wilson, Director of Public
Service Greg Solarz and the following individuals:
Mark Brown
Iliana Kazandjieff
Shannon Hudspeth

3260 Niles-Cortland
35280 Lakeland Blvd
6230 St Rt 7

Cortland
Eastlake
Kinsman

Chairman Donald Fatobene welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked for a roll
call.
Roll Call: Brian Hodor, here; Robert Wilson, here; Curt Moll, here; Frank
Daugherty, absent; and Don Fatobene, here.
Don Fatobene: Can I get a motion for the approval of Commission minutes for June 8,
2026.
A motion was made by Curt Moll and seconded by Brian Hodor.
Roll Call: Don Fatonene, yes; Robert Wilson, abstain; Brian Hodor, yes; and Curt
Moll, yes. MOTION APPROVED.
Don Fatobene: First on the agenda we have 26-26 Wall Sign – Each letter is 2’x 2’,
ROLLER SKATING, internal lighting, Cortland Roller Rink 290 S. High St.
A motion was made for 26-26 by Curt Moll and seconded by Brian Hodor.
Shannon Hudspeth: My name is Shannon Hudspeth and I am one of the managers at
Cortland Roller Rink. We are making renovations, we are going to be painting the metal
on the top half of the building and we are going to be installing these LED signs. It is
going to say Roller on one side of the building and Skating on the other side.
Curt Moll: They are very colorful.
Shannon Hudspeth: We used AI to do the layout of this, to give the spacing, to give you
an idea of what it’s going to look like. Our owner is based out of Reno, wants to paint.
The letters are really going to pop after the top half of the building is painted. It will look
more vibrant.
Brian Hodor: They are all within regulation?
Greg Solarz: Yes, I think that it looks fantastic.
Mayor Bradley: They don’t flash or anything like that?
Don Fatobene: You can probably make it as fast as you want.
Shannon Hudspeth: Not that I’m aware of. From the video that I have from the
manufacturer, the kind of flow. The colors will change, but they flow into other colors.
It’s not a flashing, nothing like that; it’s real slow. We just installed 7 new LED neon
signs inside the rink over the weekend. Our manufacturers are really cool with the things
that the machines can do.

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Curt Moll: In our sign regulations there are provisions for flashing, waving, and moving
parts. So, if you keep it slow, we won’t say much.
Don Fatobene: Any other questions, comments, concerns? No, can we get a vote please.
Roll Call: Robert Wilson, yes; Brian Hodor, yes; Don Fatobene, yes; and Curt Moll,
yes. MOTION APPROVED.
Don Fatobene: 27-26 Pole Sign – 238 S. High St., Quick Stop+, 6’x2’, 12’ high,
internally lit.
A motion was made for 27-26 by Curt Moll and seconded by Brian Hodor.
Mark Brown: Mark Brown from Mark’s Signs. We cut the pole down so that it would
be 12 feet high.
Don Fatobene: Alright, I don’t have any questions. Anyone else? No. Can I get a vote
please.
Roll Call: Curt Moll, yes; Robert Wilson, yes; Don Fatobene, yes; and Brian Hodor,
yes. MOTION APPROVED.
Don Fatobene: 28-26 Wall Sign - 238 S. High St., Quick Stop+, 2’x10’, LED
A motion was made for 28-26 by Curt Moll and seconded by Brian Hodor.
Mark Brown: The sign that was up there was 4’x10’and that one is 2’x10’ and it’s just
LED lights.
Curt Moll: Middle of the building.
Don Fatobene: Questions from anybody? Roll call please.
Roll Call: Curt Moll, yes; Don Fatobene, yes; Robert Wilson, yes; and Brian Hodor,
yes. MOTION APPROVED.
Don Fatobene: Thank you. Next up is 29-26 New Business – Casa Angel, 162 S. High
St. restaurant/bar.
A motion was made for 29-26 by Brian Hodor and seconded by Curt Moll.
Don Fatobene: Is there anybody here to speak on it?
Curt Moll: No.
Don Fatobene: It looks pretty straight forward, we know where this is going to be
located. I’d assume that they are taking over both; where the little church was and where
Mr. Hero was?
Christine Dorma: Correct.
Patrick Wilson: The city got notice of a liquor permit for there.
Don Fatobene: Does that go in front of Council?
Patrick Wilson: Only if someone asks for a hearing. I haven’t heard that anyone has an
objection.
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26

Mayor Bradley: Correct me if I’m wrong Patrick, if it goes so many calendar days
without action, then it automatically…
Patrick Wilson: Yes, they will hold a hearing if there was a reason or history.
Curt Moll: They’d have to get signatures on petitions and turn those into the election
board by…
Patrick Wilson: August 4th or August 5th. So that’s out there if you want to require them
to come in and talk to you.
Don Fatobene: No, I don’t think so, we know what they are doing. I believe that it’s the
same owners as the Mexican place.
Mayor Bradley: It is. I reached out to the contact when I saw that put out a social media
post and I asked them to contact Christine so they could go through the proper channels.
So, they could get the paperwork in line, also so they can follow all the new business
setup documents which are listed on our website. That’s what I think sparked this.
Don Fatobene: Let’s still go ahead and have a vote on this.
Roll Call: Brian Hodor, yes; Robert Wilson, yes; Don Fatobene, yes; and Curt Moll,
yes. MOTION APPROVED.
Don Fatobene: 30-26 Wall Sign – 3420 Niles Cortland Rd, Farmers Bank, 11”x14’
non-illuminated. Is there somebody here to speak on this?
A motion was made for 30-26 by Curt Moll and seconded by Robert Wilson.
Iliana Kazandjieff: Iliana, Eastlake, Ohio, Agile Sign.
Don Fatobene: The first one is the wall sign. It looks like they are going to be replacing
where it says Middlefield Bank above the door and replacing the Farmers National Bank.
Curt Moll: It’s the same size?
Iliana Kazandjieff :Yes.
Don Fatobene: It’s non-illuminated and it’s the standard Farmers blue. It does meet all
of our regulations and whatnot. Full disclosure I am…
Curt Moll: Not allowed to vote.
Don Fatobene: Yeah, thanks.
Patrick Wilson: Are you abstaining Don? Is that what you are saying? That makes
sense.
Don Fatobene: Yes, I am. Although, when something meets the regulations, I don’t
think that it’s as big of a deal. Any further discussion? No.
Roll Call: Brian Hodor, yes; Robert Wilson, yes; Curt Moll, yes; and Don Fatobene,
abstain.
Don Fatobene: Moving on, 31-26 Ground Sign - 3420 Niles Cortland Rd, Farmers
Bank, 4’x8’LED internally lit. It’s going to be replacing the Middlefield Bank sign.
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A motion was made for 31-26 by Curt Moll and seconded by Brian Hodor.
Don Fatobene: That’s for an attorney that rents some space. This is internally lit, pretty
standard, straightforward. Questions?
Patrick Wilson: Pretty close to the old one.
Curt Moll: It’s like the sign that is Farmers Bank on S. High Street.
Iliana Kazandjieff: Yes, it will look just like that.
Roll Call: Don Fatonene, abstain; Robert Wilson, yes; Brian Hodor, yes; and Curt
Moll, yes. MOTION APPROVED.
Don Fatobene: 32-26 Ground Sign – 325 S High St, Farmers Bank, 4’x6’ 2-faces,
7’3” high, LED existing. Can I get a motion to open this discussion?
A motion was made for 32-26 by Robert Wilson and seconded by Curt Moll.
Iliana Kazandjieff: We are going to paint the pole skirt and the cabinet Cool Grey 10
and we are going to put new flat faces in that say 325 Professional Place.
Curt Moll: So, this won’t be identified as a Farmer’s office at all?
Don Fatobene: No. At this point, I believe that they are just going to use it as
administrative. Any other discussion or questions? Can I get a vote please.
Roll Call: Robert Wilson, yes; Brian Hodor, yes; Don Fatobene, abstain; and Curt
Moll, yes. MOTION APPROVED.
Don Fatobene: Very good, thank you. Next is 33-26 Virtual Meeting Policy Approval.
We discussed this in the past. We had a situation where a special meeting was called and
we did not have enough folks able to attend. This will allow one of the Commission
members to join virtually. I’ve read through this. Does anyone have any questions?
Patrick Wilson: It gives the board the ability to be flexible and I think that’s a good
thing. Ohio Law now allows it, before Covid, it didn’t allow it. I think that it’s a good
idea for this board going forward. They may never have to use it.
Curt Moll: There is a provision in here for the represented people to also do this.
Patrick Wilson: They can on your approval. You hold the discretion to allow an
applicant to appear virtually or to tell them no that they have to come in.
Don Fatobene: This would have been perfect if the owners of the roller rink from
Reno… I doubt that they were going to fly here to talk about something.
Patrick Wilson: There was a meeting when somebody called in.
Don Fatobene: Yes, Sharon DiFrances forgot that we had a meeting and I was able to
call her. We voted to allow that.
Curt Moll: And when we were working with someone out of Cincinnati, we had some
calls.

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PLANNING, ZONING & BUILDING COMMISSION
CITY HALL

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Robert Wilson: Do we have to call it a virtual meeting to have one of us call in or it a
regular meeting…
Patrick Wilson: It’s a regular meeting. You have to notify Christine that that’s how you
want to do it, and she notifies the chair and you participate virtually.
Robert Wilson: Thank you, Patrick.
A motion was made by Curt Moll and seconded by Brian Hodor.
Don Fatobene: If there is no further discussion, can I get a vote on this?
Roll Call: Curt Moll, yes; Robert Wilson, yes; Don Fatobene, yes; and Brian Hodor, yes.
MOTION APPROVED.
Curt Moll: Where do we put this documentation of this meeting policy?
Patrick Wilson: Wherever Christine keeps the official minutes of each meeting; in a
central location. It’s in the minutes.
Don Fatobene: 34-26 Review and approve the updated tax map.
A motion was made by Curt Moll and seconded by Brian Hodor.
Curt Moll: I see that the school we are tearing down is Central Business District.
Don Fatobene: Didn’t we vote on that when they first sold that building?
Patrick Wilson: If you think that anything needs to be corrected then we are not going to
vote to approve it.
Curt Moll: No, it’s not a matter of correcting it, it’s the way it is. I remember doing that
so this guy could open up his multifaceted business there; which never happened.
Patrick Wilson: No, it was going to be an Airb&b or something.
Curt Moll: And a restaurant, and a house, and… This adheres to legislation that we have
passed in the past?
Patrick Wilson: Yes.
Curt Moll: Okay.
Christine Dorma: From here it will go to Council.
Don Fatobene: Any further discussion? No. Can I get a vote on this please.
Roll Call: Curt Moll, yes; Don Fatobene, yes; Robert Wilson, yes; and Brian Hodor,
yes. MOTION APPROVED.
Don Fatobene: We have talked about this in the past; the possibility of maybe having
some sort of attendance requirement. It will be much easier since now, we can do it
virtually. I know that there are other boards that have this.
Curt Moll: We do have requirements for City Council.

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CITY HALL

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Patrick Wilson: City Council does, yes. You are your own board; you can create that if
you’d like. Do you want me to come up with a draft proposal?
Don Fatobene: Yes. Is 50% reasonable?
Brian Hodor: Does virtual count?
Don Fatobene: Yes, virtual counts.
Patrick Wilson: Oh yeah.
Robert Wilson: The only time that I wasn’t able to do it was because we didn’t have
virtual. So, I would say way more than 50%.
Patrick Wilson: When you notify Christine, it’s not like she is going to say ‘No’. She
just needs to know to plan it.
Don Fatobene: Right. I’m not picking on anybody but we need to be reliable to the
community when they present things and we need to be able to act on it.
Robert Wilson: If you have 12 regular meetings and if you miss 4 in a year, that’s the
first number that comes to mind.
Don Fatobene: I think that’s fair. Especially now that we are able to call in and attend
virtually. I know that it’s volunteer but it’s still a responsibility that you’ve agreed to.
Curt Moll: If you are out of town on business, it’s an hour, half hour, 10-minute call.
Don Fatobene: Even vacation. There have been a few times over the years that I haven’t
been able to attend. Whether you get sick or something. Yes, Patrick put something
together.
Patrick Wilson: Will do.
Curt Moll: I think that you should get an excuse for medical.
Don Fatobene: Does anyone have anything else to bring to the board?
Mayor Bradley: I request that this commission start looking at Data Centers. City
Council passed a moratorium which only lasts for 12 months. It was on ordinance O-2126. I know that Council President Picuri is open to discuss with you, if you could work
together, that would be great. I know that this commission is where it would start. I want
to make sure that you have all the time that you need to at least start the conversation.
Don Fatobene: Alright. Did council put together any type of information about Data
Centers in general?
Patrick Wilson: Nothing, just a moratorium.
Don Fatobene: Every Data Center will be different.
Curt Moll: Yes, there are huge scale differences depending on what they’re doing. We
probably should have some guidelines on how to proceed. (How to hold the meetings was
discussed.) If you could bring something back to the next meeting Patrick, that would be
good.
Patrick Wilson: Okay. Your board is really restricted to public meetings.
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PLANNING, ZONING & BUILDING COMMISSION
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Mayor Bradley: Reach out to John Picuri. You can bounce ideas off of each other. He
may say let’s run this through the Technical Review Committee. This is really just to start
the process.
Don Fatobene asked for a motion to adjourn.
A motion to adjourn was made by Curt Moll and seconded by Brian Hodor.
Roll Call: Brian Hodor, yes; Robert Wilson, yes; Don Fatobene, yes; and Curt Moll,
yes. MOTION APPROVED.

Meeting Adjourned: 7:28 pm

Chairman

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Date

7

_______________________
Secretary