Community Vision Update

[Betsy Voinovich]

Hi all,

Here are the preliminary statements from the Community Vision Workshop, which were presented last week, along with the letter from Director Dru Siley. It looks pretty interesting. The next opportunity for involvement is at the February 7

From: Dru.Siley@lakewoodoh.net
To: Dru.Siley@lakewoodoh.net
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:40:31 -0500
Subject: 12-12-12 Vision Workshop - Draft Goals and Objectives

Good Afternoon-

Thanks to everyone who attended last night’s workshop at UAL and thanks to our presenters for reporting out for the workgroups.

As discussed, please find attached the draft vision statement, goals and objects for each of the focus areas as presented last night. These represents months of community input and discussion and make a good foundation for the updated vision. Please review the attached and, as you have done all along this process, please send us your comments, edits and suggests.

Last night’s presentation will be posted later today on the CV website. http://www.onelakewood.com/Development/ ... ision.aspx

We will be taking a working draft to the Planning Commission on February 7 for a public workshop and discussion.

Thank you again to everyone for your hard work.

Best,

Dru

Dru Siley, Director
Department of Planning and Development &
Division of Housing and Building
City of Lakewood




DRAFT
12‐05‐12 UPDATE
Commercial Development Vision Statement

Achieve sustainable development practices to ensure long term viability of our
commercial corridors

Commercial Development Goals

Goal 1: Encourage a mix of development that meets community
employment, shopping, and service needs

Goal 2: Require high quality design for all rehab and redevelopment
projects

Goal 3: Support local business growth and entrepreneurship
Commercial Development Objectives

Building Connections:
 Promote sharing of resources and information amongst local
businesses
 Improve public knowledge of development trends and processes
 Provide business plan mentoring and support to all business owners
 Strengthen communication concerning commercial development in Lakewood
Enhancing Existing Assets:
 Repurpose obsolete first floor retail space
 Explore the benefits of a downtown special improvement district
 Build on proactive code enforcement for commercial districts
 Market Lakewood effectively to attract high quality development
projects

DRAFT
Creating Places for People:
 Provide architectural design recommendations to small business
owners
 Add more public art in commercial districts
 Educate property owners on best practices for commercial building
rehabilitation
 Promote mixed uses on upper floors of commercial buildings
 Advocate for building design which fits within the scale of our
commercial district
Striking a Balance:
 Enhance requirements for buffers between commercial corridor and
neighborhoods
 Minimize the impact of late night commercial activity
Thinking about Tomorrow:
 Preserve and respect historic context in commercial development
projects
 Promote the use of storm water management techniques such as bioswales,
rain gardens, and pervious pavements in commercial districts
 Support environmentally sustainable development practices such as
energy efficiency
 Strengthen economic development efforts to further support Madison
Avenue
 Design and develop commercial districts to provide for a safe and
inviting pedestrian experience

DRAFT
12‐05‐12 UPDATE

Community Wellness Vision Statement

Support healthy living and create a more ecologically sustainable city
Community Wellness Goals
Goal 1: Provide great facilities and programs for active living
Goal 2: Advocate for quality healthcare for all residents
Goal 3: Adopt environmental best practices
Community Wellness Objectives

Building Connections:
 Educate about the responsibility of maintaining sewers citywide
 Provide information to residents looking to make “green” renovations
 Provide opportunities for residents to become more health literate
Enhancing Existing Assets:
 Enhance infrastructure to support active lifestyles including sidewalks,
bikeways, open space, and parks
 Ensure that Lakewood hospital continues to be an asset in our
community
 Build on recreational programming to address community needs
 Ensure that all residents have convenient access to healthy, affordable
food

Creating Places for People:
 Expand available green space
 Improve usefulness of parks as year round assets
 Consider small scale community based solutions to help alleviate storm
runoff including the use of rain barrels, bio‐swales, storm water
retention, and permeable pavements

DRAFT

Striking a Balance:
 Provide policy support, such as inclusion in the zoning code, for urban
agriculture
 Become a regional leader regarding storm water management
 Understand and proactively address the effects of changing healthcare
delivery on community health
Thinking about Tomorrow:
 Grow our strong recycling program by exploring new strategies to
improve compliance including container pick‐up or fees for refuse
collection by volume
 Educate residents on energy efficient options such as compact
fluorescent light bulbs, and appropriate home insulation
 Encourage employers to offer health promotion programs to their
employees
 Reduce obesity rates by promoting active lifestyles and ensuring that
nutritious food options are readily available
 Develop a culture which promotes a sense of personal responsibility
for community health & wellness

DRAFT

12‐05‐12 UPDATE

Education & Culture Vision Statement
Provide life‐long educational opportunities for our residents and promote a
community identity rooted in our cultural heritage
Education & Culture Goals
Goal 1: Support a culture of lifelong learning
Goal 2: Preserve our cultural institutions and assets
Goal 3: Continue to encourage civic engagement
Education & Culture Objectives
Building Connections:
 Capture and share local history
 Provide high quality education for K‐12 students through excellent
schools
Enhancing Existing Assets:
 Continue to offer a broad range of community events and festivals
 Preserve and grow the Beck Center
 Understand market and social drivers of Education and Culture, and
use those findings to guide decision making
 Leverage existing resources in schools to meet community needs such
as access to technology and community meeting spaces
Creating Places for People:
 Promote cultural identity in neighborhoods through design
 Develop spaces for artists to live and work

DRAFT

Striking a Balance:
 Leverage local and regional cultural assets to direct programming in
Lakewood
 Work with University of Akron Lakewood to meet local needs in higher
education
 Provide great facilities and learning environments that allow access to
educational technologies and resources including access to computers
in schools and libraries
Thinking about Tomorrow:
 Offer workforce development opportunities in industries that are
growing in Northeast Ohio
 Support the libraries

DRAFT

12‐05‐12 UPDATE

Housing Vision Statement
Protect and enhance the quality and character of our residential neighborhoods
Housing Goals
Goal 1: Support a variety of housing options that meet the needs of our
diverse community
Goal 2: Proactively maintain and improve our housing stock
Goal 3: Develop a culture of informed and responsible action by all
property owners and tenants
Housing Objectives
Building Connections:
 Educate all landlords through existing training seminars
 Promote the importance and financial benefits of quality repairs and
renovations
 Work with Relators to market Lakewood effectively to potential
homeowners
 Promote energy efficiency upgrades including the installation of new
furnaces, adequate insulation, and energy star appliances
Enhancing Existing Assets:
 Improve lighting in neighborhoods through the use of porch lights
 Educate residents on how to better access services provided by local
financial institutions
 Enhance the role of Block Clubs as a social and informational resource
Creating Places for People:
 Provide a variety of housing types that meet the needs of the whole
community including seniors, low‐moderate income families, and special
needs households
 Encourage new and infill development which is complementary to the scale
and character of surrounding residential uses

DRAFT

Striking a Balance
 Explore the benefits of point of sale inspections
 Promote development of affordable housing for low ‐ moderate income and
special needs households
 Preserve housing quality through proactive code enforcement of residential
property including multi‐family homes
Thinking about Tomorrow
 Maintain existing trees on residential streets and manage our urban forest
 Preserve the historic character of residential neighborhoods through
education and support of quality design
 Manage vacant and abandoned properties using the property maintenance
code to ensure that properties are safe, secured, and weatherized
 Seek new funding sources to support middle class households which are
ineligible for federally funded housing programs

DRAFT
12‐05‐12 UPDATE

Mobility Vision Statement
Provide safe, convenient, and integrated transportation options throughout the
community
Mobility Goals
Goal 1: Continue to invest in infrastructure improvements to achieve a
balanced multimodal transportation network
Goal 2: Promote transportation safety through education, enforcement,
and design
Goal 3: Increase the number of miles travelled using means other
than a car
Mobility Objectives
Building Connections:
 Ensure all streets are well lit
 Encourage employers to develop incentives for employees to use
alternative transportation
 Educate motorists and cyclists on rules of the road
 Develop systematic sidewalk replacement program
Enhancing Existing Assets:
 Control Litter and Snow on Sidewalks
 Enhance and expand bike routes citywide
 Increase availability of bicycle parking in commercial districts to meet
demand
 Obtain bronze medal designation from League of American Cyclists

DRAFT

Creating Places for People
 Improve consistency of traffic signage to reflect what has already been
added on Detroit Ave. and Clifton Blvd.
 Minimize impact of cars and parking in commercial districts
 Expand ADA compliance in public spaces including sidewalks, parks, and
facilities
 Enhance transit waiting environments city wide through the addition of
shelters, benches, and other necessary amenities
 Establish a consistent approach to providing attractive and functionally well
placed pedestrian amenities
Striking a Balance:
 Focus traffic enforcement around schools and destinations
 Explore traffic calming to achieve speeds appropriate to family
neighborhoods
 Work with RTA to improve timing of bus routes
 Improve access to public transit facilities
 Pursue creative solutions to meet parking demands
Thinking about Tomorrow:
 Educate resident on ways to reduce carbon emissions
 Explore new transportation options to fill the service gap left in the absence
of the Circulator
 Consider multi‐use path along train tracks
 Offer downtown pedi‐cab service

DRAFT

12‐05‐12 UPDATE

Safety Vision Statement
Maintain the highest degree of community safety by providing excellent safety
services, promoting resident participation, and expanding effective
communication
Safety Goals
Goal 1: Preserve the rapid response time of safety forces
Goal 2: Work with neighborhoods and business owners to improve our
physical environment
Goal 3: Decrease the number of crimes of opportunity
Safety Objectives
Building Connections:
 Develop opportunities for neighbors to connect
 Use social media to expand communication citywide including police to
residents, and block clubs to businesses
 Raise the level of neighborhood safety through additional trainings for
block clubs and residents
 Improve the sharing of alerts, crime data, and information
 Provide crime prevention “best practices” to residents
 Encourage emergency preparedness for all citizens
Enhancing Existing Assets:
 Maintain sufficient professional safety forces
 Promote and enhance bicycle safety through Bike Lakewood, improved
signage and infrastructure, and community outreach events such as
the Bike Rodeo
 Expand the number of private and city owned cameras
 Leverage advancements in technology to improve effectiveness of
policing

DRAFT

Creating Places for People:
 Improve the application of the Safe Routes to School program
 Improve lighting in the neighborhoods, parks and business districts
 Design public spaces that are beautiful, functional, and safe
Striking a Balance:
 Minimize the impact of late night commercial activity such as bars closing
 Ensure linked communication between safety forces
Thinking about Tomorrow:
 Understand emerging trends in public safety in order to respond to those
trends effectively
 Have more frequent community beautification events