Single-Family House gets Boarding House Status from Planning Commission

The Kent Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to give a Solon man permission to turn a single-family house into a boarding house.

The approval is contingent upon granting of several variances for the house from the Kent Board of Zoning Appeals, which has yet to vote on the issue.

Members of the planning commission and city administration commended Solon resident Steve Kubofcik for asking for the conversion instead of using the house at 335 Park Ave. as an illegal boarding house.

"There are many three-room boarding houses operating illegally in the city," commission member John Gargan said. “I think it’s one of the nicest houses in the area, so I don’t think (Kubofcik is) detracting from the neighborhood at all."

Kent ordinances prohibit houses with more than two unrelated people unless they obtain a boarding house status.

The planning commission also approved the conversion with the limitations that the boarding house status expires for the property when Kubofcik sells it and that the house be restricted to three tenants.

Kubofcik told the planning commission he bought the house in April in order to provide a residence for his daughter, while she attends Kent State University, and her two friends.

"It was in considerable disrepair, although much of the renovations were done by a previous owner," he said. "I took it to the next level and completed everything."

Kubofcik paid $50,000 for the property, according to the Portage County Auditor's Office online records.

Commission chairman Anthony Catalano suggested limiting the boarding house status to only while Kubofcik owns it.

"We don’t want boarding houses popping up throughout the city," Catalano said. "We want to control that. I think we’re saturated now with student housing."