Plans and Studies

Council adopted the Ridgeville Ready 2024 Master Plan on April 15, 2024. Over the course of the 15-month planning process, the city solicited input from the public through focus groups and three rounds of community engagement, and from that input developed a vision for North Ridgeville’s future. The steering committee, working in concert with staff and the community, developed goals and recommendations based on examining existing conditions and demographic trends, best planning practices and input from stakeholders.

The master plan will serve as a policy document and guide for decision makers over the next decade. The plan will provide a foundation for budgeting decisions, zoning ordinances, land development regulations and more.

In 2026, the city adopted its first comprehensive Wastewater Master Plan since 1970, a plan that predates the French Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The new plan covers the city's 158 miles of sanitary sewer and the treatment plant, which also serves Avon and Sheffield Village. Using citywide flow monitoring and a new hydraulic model, it identifies where the system lacks capacity and sets a 30-year capital improvement program to relieve bottlenecks, reduce flooding and basement backups and serve future growth. Recommended projects include larger sewer lines, new connections between sewers, fewer lift stations, wet-weather storage, service area extensions and lining older pipes to keep out rainwater and groundwater. The plan also gives the city a stronger basis for long-term budgeting and helps ensure utility investments and land use decisions work in step.

The city purchased and rezoned a 46-acre piece of farmland in 2024 with the intention of developing the site for industrial and manufacturing use. The city engaged Montrose Group to prepare a strategic plan for this site. A site analysis determined that the planned North Ridgeville Industrial Park had access to essential infrastructure and exists in a strategic location near Cleveland’s Hopkins Airport as well as in the center of the large population base in Northeast Ohio. The study reviewed the industry and workforce strengths that would be attracted to the North Ridgeville Industrial Park. The study found that the North Ridgeville Industrial Park is well-positioned to attract a wide range of manufacturing industries. Following a detailed workforce and real estate analysis, the study recommended the city take specific action steps to successfully develop the North Ridgeville Industrial Park:

After a ten-month planning process, the citywide Active Transportation Plan and Safe Routes to School Plan are complete. Project funding was provided by NOACA, and the studies were developed by a consultant team with input from staff, the public and a steering committee of community stakeholders. These plans are meant to guide decision making regarding connectivity and safety improvements, specifically related to the city’s trail and sidewalk network, over the next 15 years. The plans provide a vision for future bicycle and pedestrian improvements that will improve and expand safe connections to local destinations and the regional transportation network. The process also involved review of the city’s zoning regulations and included recommendations for how active transportation elements can be incorporated into future development. These plans will be used by the city to seek funding for infrastructure improvements and other projects in support of active transportation.

Everyone wants safer streets. Let’s create change. The City of North Ridgeville participated with other Lorain County communities in the creation of a countywide Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, which aims to stop fatal and serious injury crashes on Lorain County roads by 2040. The plan is the basis for projects and policies that will make our streets a safer place to drive, ride and walk. 

Trees play a vital role in making North Ridgeville a more livable, sustainable and attractive community. Beyond their natural beauty, trees improve air and water quality, reduce energy costs, manage stormwater runoff and provide habitat for wildlife. They also boost property values and support local economic development by enhancing the appeal of neighborhoods and commercial areas. North Ridgeville’s Master Tree Plan outlines the city’s commitment to the strategic planting, preservation and care of trees in public spaces—helping ensure a greener, healthier future for all. 

As recommended in the Master Plan, the city created a Communications Plan to help lay the foundation for success by better informing the public, serving the communication needs of staff, fostering positive engagement and creating meaningful connections. It defines opportunities and actions for the city to improve internal communication and collaboration and strengthen the way North Ridgeville shares information with the community.