Secret Plans to Sell Kauffman Park?

[Joe Whisman]

It makes me want to leave Lakewood for a more progressive city. I thought we were supposed to be leading the way. If I wanted to live in Avon, I would not be sticking my neck out for Lakewood. Let's protest the removal of green space. Even the idea of green space removal is sickening. Let's expose any deals and bring them out in the open. Who wants more pavement and who wants more parks? DO NOT SELL US OUT LAKEWOOD. You need parks and green space to attract families.

[Stephen Eisel]

I'm pretty sure the baseball field in the north lot is gone, as I saw crews digging or doing something.

That was the JV team's diamond as well.

It looks like they are storing the construction vehicles in the fenced off area?

[Kevin Galvin]

I don't know if this is permanent, but all the activity that is currently going on at the LHS north lot is because a great number of modular classrooms (aka trailers) are being put there. These will temporarily be classrooms while the "old' LHS is renovated.

Obviously, the trailers will go when the school renovation is completed. I don't know if the field will return.

[Ivor Karabatkovic]

Kevin,

I'm 99.9% sure it's because of the trailors moving in.

Construction will take a few years so we probably won't have that field to use for the next...4-5 years.

[Shawn Juris]

Alright, looking at this from another angle. Say that there is nothing secretive or underhanded going on. Say the Developer bought the strip mall and is going to come in and redevelop using the land the building sits on and the parking lot. So far so good right? As long as the new design meets the approval of the architecture board and fits into the vision of the Main Street program then the city gets to improve aethetically and can attract some more business while making a mall area for the Library staff to overlook. The existing tenants I assume will have the opportunity to lease on the new digs or relocate. Certainly with the state of the city it would make sense that City Hall would intervene in making sure that this is a smooth transition so we don't lose businesses.
What I don't get is the study. I am still having a hard time understanding why they are considering moving a green space (Foxx Field) that would need to be intact to maintain it's purpose in a city that has so few possible locations. With the exception of the simplest solution of converting the north diamond at Lakewood Park to a full sized, usable adult field, all the other possibilities must include buying someone out of either their home(s) or business. Am I being overly simplistic to think that someone got paid $30,000 to look for ways to fit this box (the dimensions of Foxx/Kaufman) into that box (some parcel between streets) on a map? Is the expected result for the winner of this bid to come back with a solution that says yes, Mrs Jones and her 15 neighbors on Cherry Buckets Ave have agreed to sell you their homes for a total of $1.5 million. Send out the press release and roll out the wrecking crew.
I feel like we're waiting for a report that has little hope of a creative, acceptable solution and sense the impending answer to be the paternal "because we said so" after the election is over and after the deal is done.

[Jeff Endress]

Were my eyes deceiving me or has the LHS north lot field been eliminated? It seemed that there were a few cars parked on the diamond and it looked like there was some kind of activity going on there last night.

Jeez Shawn, don't you keep up on what's going on around here?

Reminds me of the guy living on Mars who stopped me one day last spring to inquire what was happening to the old Insurance Affiliates building. "You mean they're going to expand the library?" He was astonished.

This was all part of the school's phase two construction plan. Starting in January, the "new" wing of LHS will be closed, and renovated and refurbished to become the science wing, culinary arts, etc. Since it will be impossible to hold classes while this is being done, the field to the north of the parking lot is being readied to set up temporary class room space.

Presumably, these temporary classrooms will remain to allow for class room space during Phase three, which would be the demolition and replacement of the Men's, Women's and old main buildings. Once the entire porject is completed, I assume that the field will be returned (in an improved state) to green space.

Try and keep up....

Jeff

[Bryan Schwegler]

Kevin,

I'm 99.9% sure it's because of the trailors moving in.

Construction will take a few years so we probably won't have that field to use for the next...4-5 years.

Yes, you are completely right. My sister taught at LHS last year before she moved to Atlanta with her fiancé this summer and she mentioned this was happening.

[Shawn Juris]

Guess that important fact got missed in all the rabble. I do remember reading once in terms of the number of fields available in Lakewood and I could swear that it was a suggestion that it may be permanently eliminated and used for another purpose. Thank you for clarifying. Is there a timeline in place for the availability of this field and for Harding?

[Jeff Endress]

Now....I could be wrong, but work is proceeding at Harding, and I think the intent is to be up and running for the start of the LHS Softball season....spring '08. After all, that will be LHS home field. Whether it's done before....I dunno, but I would doubt completion before the snow falls anyway.

Jeff

[Kevin Galvin]

Now I'm really confused!!!
First Shawn talks about the north lot at LAKEWOOD PARK.

[quote="Shawn Juris"]that there is With the exception of the simplest solution of converting the north diamond at Lakewood Park to a full sized, usable adult field, /quote]

Then Mr. Endress issues a verbal slap to Shawn for not keeping up with the closing of the lot at LAKEWOOD HIGH.

Mr. Endress said "Jeez Shawn, don't you keep up on what's going on around here?"

Finally, Shawn responds with thanks for clarification.

I guess that leaves me to ask Shawn if he meant Lakewood PARK as in the lot nearest the lake at the park or were you talking about the north lot at the high school? Obviously if you meant the school, then everything that follows makes sense.

Am I the only one who thought that Shawn meant the baseball field located at Lakewood Park? That struck me as a reasonable area to replace the baseball field. It's always shut down for the 4th of July but it could be used other times. I know it is currently used for adult softball.
(Or at least was a couple of years ago.)

[Donald Farris]

Hi,
Sounds like baseball fields are going the way of basketball hoops.

What was that Joni Mitchell song again? O yeah:

Big Yellow Taxi
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot SPOT
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don't know what you’ve got
‘Til it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They took all the trees
And put them in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to seem 'em
Don't it always seem to go,
That you don't know what you’ve got
‘Til it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Hey farmer, farmer
Put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But LEAVE me the birds and the bees
Please!
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you’ve got
‘Til its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you’ve got
‘Til it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

I said
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you’ve got
‘Til it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Here's a video of it: Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi Music Video

Or for you hipsters, here's a Counting Crows rendition: Counting Crows - Big Yellow Taxi Music Video

[Ivor Karabatkovic]

That was the baseball field.

Softball was at Lakewood Park for JV and Madison Park for Varsity.

Come on Jeff, it wasn't that far ago that you had to follow along with softball.

I know I spoke with Rick Berdine about the Harding field but I don't recall exactly what the plans were with the high school team.

I just drove by there about 10 minutes ago and the whole parking lot is fenced off. where are 400+ cars going to park now?!

[Phil Florian]

I think ryan was the only one to indicate he would work to keep the same acreage in greenspace in the city. Of course financially that would be impossible.
FWIW

I disagree.

$5 million could buy all of the land across from Rockport including Drug Mart and all of the housing and apartments all the way to the tracks. That would be a great site for a new ball park and new housing around the new ball park. That leaves $45 million left over!!

Of course, this assumes everyone wants to sell, right? Or was eminent domain coming up again? That worked out so well the first time!

Shouldn't they look to see how they could guarantee the continuation of existing green space before they sell it off?

[Bill Call]

$5 million could buy all of the land across from Rockport including Drug Mart and all of the housing and apartments all the way to the tracks. That would be a great site for a new ball park and new housing around the new ball park. That leaves $45 million left over!!

Of course, this assumes everyone wants to sell, right? Or was eminent domain coming up again? That worked out so well the first time!

Shouldn't they look to see how they could guarantee the continuation of existing green space before they sell it off?

New park land or parking is valid a public purpose. Of course it is possible that the owners of an apartment valued at $400,000 would insist that the building is realy worth $4 million.

The bad news would be that the project would be dead and the City would be stuck with an ugly, unimproved half vacant apartment building.

The good news would be that the tax bill on the property would $120,000 per year instead of $12,000 per year.

Property is supposed to be revalued to its true value on a regular basis. At this point most homes in Cuyahoga County are taxed at a value HIGHER than the true market value. Why should commercial property or investment property be valued for less than market value?

Out of town owners of some of the ugliest, most dangerous, unimproved property in the City would certainly try to hold us hostage to their own negligence. Should we accept that and forget about retaining a middle class, revitalizing our City and improving our quality of life?

My guess is that a substantial portion of Lakewoods population would anser yes, of course!

[Dee Martinez]

Property is supposed to be revalued to its true value on a regular basis. At this point most homes in Cuyahoga County are taxed at a value HIGHER than the true market value. Why should commercial property or investment property be valued for less than market value?

Out of town owners of some of the ugliest, most dangerous, unimproved property in the City would certainly try to hold us hostage to their own negligence. Should we accept that and forget about retaining a middle class, revitalizing our City and improving our quality of life?

When a piece of property changes hands, the next assessment will be automatically based on the purchase price. At that point it is hard for the owners to claim it is worth less than what they recently paid for it (although I am sure some have tried)

Its a little trickier when a property has been in the same hands for a while. In that case property owners can and do challenge the assessments. These re-assessments tend to be more incremental. Im guessing that more commercial and apt owners challenge valuations than single home owners but all property owners are free to do so, In fact, I remember a previous auditor basically INVItING my ex to challenge our re-valuation.

In my limited experience the county is amenable to working with property owners to reduce the burden of higher taxes based on the "phantom" asset of a higher property value which seems reasonable to me. A house's value is only $200,000 if you find someone willing to pay $200,000 for it.