Akron City Council to consider Merriman Valley development
Dan Shingler
Long known for its parks and natural beauty, Merriman Valley is shaping up as a battleground over whether and how to develop the area.
Akron City Council might be headed toward some contentious meetings on Monday, Dec. 14, when it and its Planning and Economic Development Committee are set to consider a proposed residential development for the Merriman Valley.
Up for consideration is a zoning variance requested by Petros Homes, which hopes to build 197 townhomes and ranch-style residences at the 76-acre site of the former Riverwood Golf Course on Akron-Peninsula Road. Petros CEO Sam Petros estimated the project will cost about $40 million to develop.
The Point Reyes National Seashore has a new superintendent.
Come January, Craig Kenkel, who grew up on a farm in Iowa and has spent his career working for the National Park Service, will take up the reins. Mr. Kenkel currently serves as the superintendent of Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, one of a small handful of units in the country where the park leases land for farming.
The transition comes after Cicely Muldoon, who has filled the post for the past decade, accepted a permanent position at Yosemite National Park last month, after filling in there since January. The seashore has had a string of acting superintendents in recent years as Ms. Muldoon took up temporary leadership roles in Yosemite and elsewhere.