What is it worth? - Very political in nature.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Shawn

You make me laugh, I am sorry it does not all make sense to you, some does not make sense to me. Way over my head.

The city had 70,000 residents, it now has 50,000. At some point it was able to sustain 70,000.

One major problem is empty homes and rental units.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Let's try the math and do the ideas.

Bring in more owners and renters. Wow, how many can we fit. well history would say 70,000. (not me)

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

What impact would 20,000 more people have on the businesses of the city?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Again, while you work to take people out of Lakewood, I will continue to work to bring them in. Let's see India Garden, India Food Emporium, Pride of Cleveland Scooters, a new restaurant soon to be named (ribs will be good1). and gobs of residents.

I think I winning that bet you made last fall.

Sorry that you feel I am not pulling my fair share.

.
.

(don't worry never thought you would pay anyway.)

[Dave Sharosky]

How come for most cities across the U.S. (including the cities of northeast ohio), who have been around for 70+ years sustaining themselves in the good times and the bad, all of a sudden can't do it anymore? Now they scream the answer is REGIONALISM. That's the ticket! Are we looking for the best way out of our troubles or the easy way out?

[Ivor Karabatkovic]

I've been working for three years now and I've never had a job here in Lakewood. Applied to many places, but I worked in River for a year and Cleveland for two.

just the way things are in the city I guess.

[Brian Pedaci]

Can somebody clue a newbie in? What's VAL?

[Jim O'Bryan]

Can somebody clue a newbie in? What's VAL?

Brian


The Visionary alignment for Lakewood is a program started by Ken Warren. It is a method/program to quickly and effectively look at programs and ideas, vet them and figure out how they work for Lakewood and more importantly work with other aspects for Lakewood's future short and long term.

Ideas come from a variety of sources, much like the Observer's articles. They are drilled down and through to see any possible pitfalls or problems. The goal is to come up with innovated cutting edge ideas, that can move the city forward at the negative expense of no one.

Because of the nebulous nature of the program and the VAL, it has hundreds of advantages not shared by the city. One is the ability to stop and say, no, when it does not work even after being started. It is one of the many luxuries the program has. Another is the very deep pool of talent and "authorities" from many walks of life, in Lakewood and outside.

Examples would be BikeLakewood. This sprung up from an idea Ed Favre had, and was communicated to a member of the VAL. It came back and was seen as a good idea for where it put Lakewood in the future. The idea was then readied to go forward. Tim Liston was identified as the perfect manager of such an idea, and it was handed to him with support from the Lakewood Observer. He has done a great job with it/

LEAF Community springs from a major brick in the program, "Food Security."

The Lakewood Observer yet another idea that was put together for hundreds of reasons. One to stop the flow of misinformation about the city. Another to build the brand as quickly, effectively, and positively as possible. After over a year of planning it was launched, and has become a mainstay of Lakewood and the community. Also now becoming one of Lakewood's best known exports!

There are no secret meetings just meetings. Getting involved is as easy as posting here on the deck or stopping by a LO meeting.

The programs which change as they are implemented or not are moved in the grid. The bottom of the grid represents easily obtainable projects. As you move up the grid the programs get harder and harder to implement. This does not mean they are bad, it just means they need other pieces first, or needs serious effort.

Another simple project was "The bookstore." Last time a call was made for a bookstore, a group sat down and within a day or two they had located a source for thousands of used books. A couple buildings identified, and we had gotten to each person throwing in $10,000 to launch the store. As everyone had jobs, it was decided that it would be handed/sold off to a Lakewood resident to run and hire other Lakewoodites to work there.

This then flowed into the Store incubator project, where residents are partnered with business members, buildings are sought out and stores are place next to other stores that can benefit from the close proximity of each other. Trying to address the many "dead zones" that stop Lakewood from being a walkable business district.

Often over attacked, over thought, but 99.9% on the market for good ideas for a city using very little help from the city. We have had many ideas "lifted" by parties seeking credits or "fresh ideas" without the due diligence of sitting down to hear the whole plan. You see them implemented by various "civic" groups has assed and headed to failure. It is not about individual credit but moving the city forward. When attacked, I feel it is necessary to move them into the light.

Best idea I have seen in the plan to bring the University of Beijing into Lake Erie Screw! They were conversations with UoB!!!

One of the thoughts flowing out is that if the city of Lakewood concentrated on clean and safe, the residents and groups could manage the fun part of life. There is not steadfast membership, no dues, and no charges for getting help and ideas.

As you can see it is a very stupid idea filled with evil agendas!!!!

Thanks for asking.


.

[Dee Martinez]

Everything on the list sounds great and is evidence of a creative and engaged community. Thats the good news.
But when you talk about adding 20,000 residents, where exactly will they come from? How will they earn their living? And since the houses and apartments are already here, why arent the 20,000 people?

I was thinking about my former next door neighbor today. We all have this vision that every Lakewood to Cleveland commuter is or was a lawyer or banker working downtown. My neighbor worked in Cleveland all right, but at LTV Steel. When the plant started laying off he got another job in another part of NE Ohio and Lakewood was just too inconvenient. He is not coming back to Lakewoodm unless maybe theres a job somewhere nearby for him. Even then , after 54 yrs he is pretty happy where he is. Dont count him among the 20,000 youre hoping to attract

Pleasse dont bring up the "Peninsula" The idea is very cool but no one anywhere has any clue where the first dime to do this will come from. No one in city government presently has the time to chase that rainbow and I dont think I could support anyone who would take the time away from critical here-and-now issues to spend time and treasure on it.
The issues Lakewood needs to work at are sources of income for residents, housing, civic finances and safety. If they can be done within the confines of Lakewood OK but Im suspecting were going to need a little help. And I dont think we have an open ended timeframe to do it in.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Dee

Now let's be realistic on the 70,000.

Many of those were large families during the baby boom. We are fully aware of that. 5,000 - 10,000 more seems more realistic. But what are 5,000 more shoppers worth to Giant Eagle? Rush Inn? Beck Center? Lion n Blue? People can secure a city.

We have found some areas that are goldmines for finding engaged, artistic, intelligent people to move to Lakewood.

We are also fully aware that as built out community, anytime we tear down a house or building, what it is replaced with has to make more or at least as much.

At one time LakewoodAlive was spearheading a move to educate Lakewoodites on bringing economic development into Lakewood in the form of retail. I believe LA and others through GrowLakewood have learned that office space was more preferable to retail as it can be configured differently again and again. This was a move in the right direction.

Let's go farther, what rarely goes out of real style but needs clean-up every now and then. Residential! Simple, easy to build and work with, already here. So how do we fill these spaces? The answer seemed simple enough. EVERYONE wants to live in a clean safe environment. From there Fun, and work would be next.

This insane thought that flowed out was this was easily obtainable. We already have the living units and they were a problem as well. How do we get the word out? the Lakewood Observer! This flowed into a program we call "drafting good neighbors" and it is working. Find people that add to a community not based on race, creed or color, but on what they add. Invite them in, show them around, talk about the energized community and things to do. Finally nail them with low cost of living and the walkable bedroom community and BAM you have them. The same works for businesses. Last week I was speaking with an old friend that owns a chain of restaurants, he asked if Lakewood was ready for good ribs. this week I have been driving him around Lakewood and will hand him off to the Planning Department. Another project that has fallen through on good terms was B & B Appliance looking at opening a store in Lakewood. The spot was grabbed by Pride of Cleveland Scooters, a progressive green company that does about $2 million in sales a year, and will stop me and others from having to go downtown for scooter parts!

You know as I have said all along. This is not rocket surgery.

So the question I have asked before and now ask again. Which is better for Lakewood? Applebees or 100 new residents? I think the numbers will show residents win over bars.

Even with Cleveland going down the tubes, Lakewood is 11 minutes from Westlake, 20 minutes from Legacy Village. I used to live here and work in Chagrin Falls, and the commute was fast and easy.

We can make a name for ourselves being the best place to live, and raise a family. In doing so we offer something the rest of the region cannot compete with. Maybe Cleveland Heights. To me this is the sane choice for our future. Retail? Dead, and growing online. Office space? BP is going for pennies a square foot how do we compete with that? Homes, clean, fun, walkable, safe. That is one easily within our grasps.

Jobs, even easier. save that for another time.


.

[Suzanne Metelko]

I hope you don't mind, but I'm still waiting for an answer to Ken's question.

Doesn't this bother anyone else?

"The mayors of Lakewood, Parma Heights and South Euclid say they are ready to merge their cities with neighbors, though none has sealed a deal."

What does this mean?? Have we really determined that we're ready to merge? What will the government look like? Am I going to be stuck with 21 council reps like Cleveland?

[Suzanne Metelko]

City Hall has no role in the Section 8 program.

It's a federal program done done with CMHA. Private landlords are the ones who decide to take the vouchers.

Mike, that's not quite accurate. Enforcement of the strick rules of section 8 fall to the city's administration. It is their responibility to inspect and enforce. Adverse reports to HUD regarding problem tenants or landlords result in vouchers being revoked. The success of the program lives and dies at the local level.

At last week's safety meeting, a woman reported that she had contacted HUD and that the city of Lakewood has not filed one complaint in the past three years.

They can't take action if they don't know there's a problem.

[Stephen Eisel]

Dee

Now let's be realistic on the 70,000.

Many of those were large families during the baby boom. We are fully aware of that. 5,000 - 10,000 more seems more realistic. But what are 5,000 more shoppers worth to Giant Eagle? Rush Inn? Beck Center? Lion n Blue? People can secure a city.

Jim, and do not forget about the increase business for the Lemonade stands? .

[Stephen Eisel]

City Hall has no role in the Section 8 program.

It's a federal program done done with CMHA. Private landlords are the ones who decide to take the vouchers.

Mike, that's not quite accurate. Enforcement of the strick rules of section 8 fall to the city's administration. It is their responibility to inspect and enforce. Adverse reports to HUD regarding problem tenants or landlords result in vouchers being revoked. The success of the program lives and dies at the local level.

At last week's safety meeting, a woman reported that she had contacted HUD and that the city of Lakewood has not filed one complaint in the past three years.

They can't take action if they don't know there's a problem.

Do we know what this cost the city? (the inspection and enforcement)

[brian smoley]

I hope you don't mind, but I'm still waiting for an answer to Ken's question.

Doesn't this bother anyone else?

"The mayors of Lakewood, Parma Heights and South Euclid say they are ready to merge their cities with neighbors, though none has sealed a deal."

What does this mean?? Have we really determined that we're ready to merge? What will the government look like? Am I going to be stuck with 21 council reps like Cleveland?

It doesn't bother me. I hope we do merge Lakewood, as well as all of Cuyahoga County, into one city called Cleveland. I, as well as many other Lakewoodites I know, will vote for whomever will get the ball rolling on this merger the soonest.

[Justine Cooper]

Every single person I have talked to says the opposite, they will not vote for someone willing to merge Lakewood with Cleveland.

[brian smoley]

Well, all of the educated people under age 35 that I know would say otherwise. The people that would like this area to move forward for the first time in 50+ years. Lakewood cannot move forward (and last) without the entire region moving forward. It's in everyone's best interests to cooperate on a direction rather than moving in 100 different, often conflicting, directions.

[Justine Cooper]

So you are speaking for every educated person under the age of 35? I will take my own poll. And what about all the other, like say the people over 35 educated and not educated? Does their opinion matter? You know, the ones who have invested thousands of dollars into this community.