There is a moment on the Wesley Woods trail, just past the log bridge on the lower slope, where the path reaches the creek edge and stops. On the other side: the planned ChargePoint bicycle charging station, the e-mountain bike safety corridor, and the lower garden area that anchors the property's educational programming.
To get there, right now, you have to turn around.
The Wesley Stump Family Foundation is asking the City of Strongsville to help change that.
The Proposal
The Foundation has filed a variance application with the Strongsville Board of Zoning Appeals for the construction of a low-impact bicycle and pedestrian bridge spanning the creek at Wesley Woods. The proposed crossing is a simple, timber-framed structure — minimal concrete footings at each bank, treated lumber decking wide enough for a bicycle to cross comfortably, and open-rail sides that preserve sight lines and allow the creek to be seen and heard from the bridge itself.
The bridge is not decorative. It is functional infrastructure connecting two halves of a working restoration property — and the Foundation's permit application addresses each of the four criteria the Strongsville BZA is required to evaluate.
The Four-Point Variance Test
1. Unnecessary Hardship
Without the bridge, the eastern section of the Wesley Woods property — including the ChargePoint charging station, the planned e-mountain bike safety study trail, and the lower orchard planting area — is physically inaccessible to cyclists, volunteers, and educational program participants. The creek is not fordable on foot without disrupting the streambank, and there is no alternative route that does not require crossing private property. The hardship is not a matter of inconvenience; it is a functional barrier to the Foundation's legally authorized nonprofit mission.
2. Unique Circumstances of the Property
The creek crossing requirement is a physical condition of this specific parcel — not a circumstance the Foundation created, and not a condition common to neighboring properties. The creek runs through the lower section of the lot along a natural drainage corridor that predates the Foundation's ownership. The property was acquired precisely because of its ecological features, including the creek and wetland. The need for a crossing arises from the land itself, not from any action or decision by the applicant.
3. Best Use of the Land and Consistency with the Public Interest
The bridge supports the highest and best use of this land as the Foundation has defined it: a working ecological restoration site with educational access for the community. The ChargePoint station the bridge would connect to is itself a public benefit — a place where cyclists and electric bike riders in Strongsville can charge equipment during trail use. Connecting the two sides of the property by bridge transforms a disconnected set of features into a coherent, navigable experience. The structure does not alter the character of the neighborhood; it enables the stewardship mission the Foundation has been executing on this property since acquisition.
4. Spirit and Intent of the Zoning Ordinance
The proposed bridge is an accessory structure to a lawful nonprofit conservation and education use. It is not a commercial structure, not a permanent building, and does not alter the underlying zoning designation of the parcel. Timber bridges over natural waterways are a recognized and routinely permitted feature of conservation and recreation properties throughout Cuyahoga County. Granting this variance is consistent with the spirit of Strongsville's zoning code, which supports appropriate accessory uses that serve the primary function of a property without creating impacts on adjacent parcels or the broader community.
What Comes Next
The Foundation's variance application has been submitted and is scheduled for review by the Strongsville Board of Zoning Appeals. The Foundation welcomes public comment and has made the full application available for review at the Wesley Woods trailhead kiosk.
If approved, construction of the bridge is expected to take place in the fall of 2026, with completion planned before the winter maintenance season. The structure will be built using on-site and locally sourced timber wherever possible — consistent with the Foundation's commitment to using the land's own materials in its restoration work.
"This bridge isn't a grand gesture," said a Foundation representative. "It's just how you get from one side of your property to the other. We want to do it right, do it with the city's support, and do it in a way that fits the land."
The creek will keep running underneath it, as it always has.