Mayors Summers and Siley Called Out By Grace Residents

[marklingm]

This morning, Bill Call shared the LO story about residents seeking grace from City Hall. See http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12309.

Yesterday, the following email was sent:

From: Mark Buckley [mailto:buckley77@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2013 6:37 PM
To: [redacted]
Subject: Planning Commission Sets Troubling Precedents

To Whom It May Concern:

For the residents of Grace Ave, last Thursday's Planning Commission meeting offered a disturbing insight into just how far Mr.Siley and this Planning Commission are willing to go to tip the scales of development in favor of commercial interests at the expense of the residents of Lakewood. What was supposed to have been a routine report by Discount Drug Mart on a 1 day traffic study quickly turned into an exercise in the suppression of free speech and ignoring promises made under oath. After D.D.M was granted unlimited time to present their findings the residents of Grace were informed by Chairperson Mary Cierebiej that under new rules each of us would be given only three minutes of response time . With the P.C having effectively ended any attempt at an honest exchange, Discount Drug Mart and Mayor Summers then explained why despite repeated promises made under oath D.D.M should be given a free pass with regard to truck traffic on Grace. This was a critical issue. Discount Drug Mart promised Grace Avenue and the city that no trucks (semis or panel) would ever travel on Grace. When we attempted to address the mayor on his selling out on these promises we were told by the Chairperson that our 3 minutes were up.

Two troubling precedents were set at this Planning Commission meeting. First: by limiting response time to 3 minutes the Planning Commission process now weighs heavily in favor of commercial interests who are allotted unlimited time. They have put the residents of Lakewood at a severe disadvantage when up against the Discount Drug Mart's, Get-Go's,and McDonald's of the world and have made it that much easier for them to encroach on our neighborhoods and irrevocably change the character of our streets. Second: as of Thursday night any corporation seeking concessions from the Planning Commission and looking to dampen opposition from residents can promise anything under oath and this P.C as presently constituted will not hold them accountable. Rather than strike a balance between commercial and residential, Mayor Summers and Mr Siley have chosen to completely support the businesses they court at the expense of the residents they serve. I hope others are as troubled by this as we are on Grace. I hope that if in the future Mr Siley seeks elected office people will remember how he conducts business and think twice before trusting him with their vote.

Mark Buckley

[Grace O'Malley]

You know, you can only pi$$ off people so much or for so long before it comes back to bite. Just remember the West End debacle. Lakewoodites are capable of rising up when the situation requires it, and lately, there has been a disturbing trend of people "in power" thinking that they can do as they please.

Madeline Cain thought that way about the West End, ignoring people and saying it was "a done deal." It will be interesting to see how this plays out. My vote is for the residents.

[marklingm]

And the Lakewood City Council President responds:

From: Powers, Brian [mailto:Brian.Powers@lakewoodoh.net]
Sent: Friday, December 13, 2013 10:02 AM
To: Mark Buckley; [redacted]
Cc: Annie Caswell; Michael & Kazuyo Ciccarello; Ruth Coffey; Colleen Cotter; Mary Grodek; Joan Groth; Barb Marburger; Kevin McDonough; Linda McDonogh; Bob & Carol McKee; Carl & Debbie Roloff; Donny Tollett; Stephen (Ruth Coffey) Yasuko; Jeff & Tammi Hanson; Carole McKee; Jeff Hanson; Summers, Mike; Siley, Dru
Subject: RE: Planning Commission Sets Troubling Precedents

Dear Mr. Buckley:

As you know, I have gone to great lengths to listen to the concerns of Grace Avenue residents. There is obviously a difference of opinion on the outcome of the Planning Commission's deliberations on this project. We will continue to work with residents to resolve outstanding issues, as we have done with the lighting, fencing and traffic.

For the record, however, I must state that in my experience Mr. Siley is a dedicated and conscientious public servant working on behalf of all residents in Lakewood. Likewise, the members of the Planning Commission are honorable people who perform difficult duties for the City on a volunteer basis with no pay. In my opinion based on numerous experiences across many development projects, neither Mr. Siley nor the members of the Planning Commission are unfairly biased in favor of commercial concerns over residential concerns.

Regards,

Brian

Brian E. Powers
President, Lakewood City Council
brian.powers@lakewoodoh.net

Mobile: [redacted]

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this e-mail from your system. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that disseminating, disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Brian

Brian E. Powers
President, Lakewood City Council
brian.powers@lakewoodoh.net

Mobile: [redacted]

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this e-mail from your system. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that disseminating, disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited.

[/quote]


MATT

BEWARE!!!!

Steve got a note from this group and it ended up being a dirty trick from the "Czech Republic."

Here at the Observer, and it would seem elsewhere in this city, anything from this email
address should be considered suspect at best. And a potentially just another prank or trick.

.

[marklingm]

MATT

BEWARE!!!!

Steve got a note from this group and it ended up being a dirty trick from the "Czech Republic."

Here at the Observer, and it would seem elsewhere in this city, anything from this email
address should be considered suspect at best. And a potentially just another prank or trick.

.

For those new to the Deck, Jim is referring to the "Czech Republic Invasion of June 21, 2012" … not to be confused with the War of 1812. See http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11038.

I did suspect some Czech Republic chicanery at first, Jim.

But, I think this may be the real McCoy.





Matt

[Paul Schrimpf]

A few questions:

Were delivery trucks "passing through" (not stopping to make a delivery on the street like a furniture or appliance delivery) allowed to pass through before DDM was built?

Are trucks of any size allowed to "pass through" on residential streets in Lakewood?

Are Grace residents asking for an exception to the law?

Did the city/DDM promise "no delivery trucks from DDM deliveries" knowing that there was no law against it, which meant the "promise" had no teeth?

I think delivery truck passthrough should be restricted for virtually all the north-south and the heavily residential east west streets (Athens, Delaware, Merl), with as few exceptions as practible (Warren and Bunts?).

[marklingm]

Paul,

Great questions.

It looks like many conversations took place.

See, e.g., http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12221&p=88445#p88445.

It would be nice if some folks who actually spoke with City Hall would jump in and help move the discussion forward.

Or ... gasp ... someone from City Hall can jump in and set the record straight.

Matt

[Bill Call]

The City takes sides:

http://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/index ... er_default

[marklingm]

The City takes sides:

http://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/index ... er_default

Thanks for sharing, Bill.

There is no doubt that Mike Summers can count cars and people with the best of them.

Jim has photos of Mike sitting on metal chairs throughout the ‘Wood on Detroit Avenue counting cars.

And I watched the video of Mike sitting at his mayoral desk sharing how he can watch us from his Big Brother desktop monitor.

But I find this study and conclusion hard to believe:

Summers said he believes it is safest for trucks to use the Grace and Cohassett entrances and exits for the Discount Drug Mart parking lot.

Some residents of Grace Avenue have complained about trucks using their street to access the store. However, Mayor Summers said the trucks only use about 160 feet of Grace before reaching the parking lot entrance from Detroit. About 27 semis per week make deliveries to the store, according to the recently completed traffic study.

"It takes them about one minute to exit and go down to Detroit and get off the street, so we're talking about a half-hour a week spread throughout the week," Summers said.

The traffic study did not document any trucks driving south of the store into the residential neighborhood.

The traffic study, commissioned by Discount Drug Mart, concluded there was heavy pedestrian and bicycle traffic along Detroit Avenue near the store.

"My point is, the safest place for a pedestrian and a vehicle to meet is at an intersection because everybody's antenna is up as opposed to pulling out of the apron of a driveway or the middle of a parking lot," Summers said.

He said allowing large trucks to exit onto the side streets of Grace and Cohassett and then enter onto Detroit was safer for pedestrians.

http://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/index ... er_default

[Jim O'Bryan]

The City takes sides:

http://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/index ... er_default

Thanks for sharing, Bill.

There is no doubt that Mike Summers can count cars and people with the best of them.

Jim has photos of Mike sitting on metal chairs throughout the ‘Wood on Detroit Avenue counting cars.

And I watched the video of Mike sitting at his mayoral desk sharing how he can watch us from his Big Brother desktop monitor.

But I find this study and conclusion hard to believe:

Summers said he believes it is safest for trucks to use the Grace and Cohassett entrances and exits for the Discount Drug Mart parking lot.

Some residents of Grace Avenue have complained about trucks using their street to access the store. However, Mayor Summers said the trucks only use about 160 feet of Grace before reaching the parking lot entrance from Detroit. About 27 semis per week make deliveries to the store, according to the recently completed traffic study.

"It takes them about one minute to exit and go down to Detroit and get off the street, so we're talking about a half-hour a week spread throughout the week," Summers said.

The traffic study did not document any trucks driving south of the store into the residential neighborhood.

The traffic study, commissioned by Discount Drug Mart, concluded there was heavy pedestrian and bicycle traffic along Detroit Avenue near the store.

"My point is, the safest place for a pedestrian and a vehicle to meet is at an intersection because everybody's antenna is up as opposed to pulling out of the apron of a driveway or the middle of a parking lot," Summers said.

He said allowing large trucks to exit onto the side streets of Grace and Cohassett and then enter onto Detroit was safer for pedestrians.

http://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/index ... er_default

This makes ZERO SENSE!

ZERO!

Like no light at Manor Park or the Library?

ZERO SENSE!

ZERO

I like Paul's idea of NO COMMERCIAL VEHICLES on side streets.

That would make the streets safer for pedestrians.

Well the pedestrians that LIVE here as opposed to the only ones the city seems to care
about, those that shop or drink here.

.

[Bill Burnett]

So to be clear, these residents are complaining about delivery trucks exiting the DDM driveway on their street and traveling approximately 150 feet north to Detroit? There are no houses in that 150 feet of Grace so what's the problem?

[Betsy Voinovich]

So to be clear, these residents are complaining about delivery trucks exiting the DDM driveway on their street and traveling approximately 150 feet north to Detroit? There are no houses in that 150 feet of Grace so what's the problem?

The specific problem is that residents were promised unequivocally that truck traffic would not use the residential streets.

Here is an excerpt from this Tuesday's Lakewood Observer article titled "Grace Avenue: Lessons To Be Learned" by Colleen Cotter http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/read/20 ... be-learned


In Drug Mart’s effort to obtain permission from Lakewood’s Planning Commission to use residential property for parking, Drug Mart assured the Planning Commission that no trucks would use the entrance on Grace. Period.

This was a key issue for residents because the Grace entrance is right next to and across the street from homes. Keeping trucks off Grace would reduce the impact of the development on the neighborhood.

Drug Mart assured the Planning Commission they had changed their plans in order to address these concerns. Drug Mart’s statements were unequivocal. Drug Mart’s Architect Kurt Schmitz testified 6 times on the record at two different Planning Commission meetings that trucks would never use the Grace or Cohassett entrances. For example, he stated:

"Limit truck traffic to Detroit. We've done it. All of our truck traffic comes in here, goes out, backs into the loading dock and goes back out Detroit. We've eliminated all truck traffic off Cohassett and Grace.”

Later Mr. Schmitz dismissed residents’ concerns about trucks, stating that:

“[T]he trucks are not going to be on Grace Road, we decided to keep those inside the lot and that’s something that can be enforced.”


Director Dru Siley praised Drug Mart for accommodating residents:

Director of Development Dru Siley, who also serves as the Secretary to the Planning Commission, lauded the changes Drug Mart made to their plans in response to residents’ concerns. He reminded the Planning Commission that “[a]ll of the traffic circulation for trucks [would be] in and out of Detroit.”

Planning Commission Vice Chairperson Mary Cierebiej said that she voted for the Drug Mart plan BECAUSE OF this accommodation:


This promise was even specifically referenced by Planning Commission Vice Chairperson Mary Cierebiej. Just before she voted in favor of Drug Mart’s request to split and consolidate a corner of residential property and use that corner (with two other lots) for parking, Ms. Cierebiej linked Drug Mart’s need for that property to their plan to have truck traffic exclusively use the Detroit entrance. She stated that “the triangle makes it possible for traffic and truck traffic to move on and off of Detroit itself.”

So the Planning Commission gave their okay and residents felt like they had been listened to and hadn't wasted all that time at meetings, but had been part of a livable compromise.

Then the new Drug Mart opened.

Back to the article:

Drug Mart got its conditional use, but then broke its promise.

Since the store opened in June trucks of all sizes enter and exit the Drug Mart lot daily from the Grace entrance. The residents approached Mayor Summers and Mr. Siley to ask for help in getting Drug Mart to live up to its side of the bargain. Mayor Summers' and Mr. Siley’s response was that the Planning Commission did not explicitly include this condition in its decision, and therefore they can do nothing.

Their position seems to be that a developer can promise anything to the Planning Commission to get what they want even if they have no intention of following through on that promise, because the city will not hold them accountable. Without the city’s support, residents are forced to live with the consequences of those broken promises.

Unfortunately, this was not our first experience of being marginalized by Mr. Siley in this process. Throughout, we were the outsiders – not knowing what was going on or what the rules were. We were often given misinformation.

The residents were straight-out lied to by Drug Mart.

And now Mayor Summers is blaming it on our volunteer Planning Commission (whose time was also utterly wasted discussing this) because again: the Planning Commission did not explicitly include this condition in its decision, and therefore they (The City and the Planning Commission) can do nothing.

Mayor Summers is also directly explaining what would have been done if the City and the Administration had an interest in respecting the residents and protecting their rights as citizens of Lakewood. They would have made sure the Planning Commission "explicitly included this condition." There it is. It's that simple and it was not done.

It sounds like a joke it's so obvious. It's like throwing a pie in the face of the residents and laughing. "You believed us. Ha ha ha."

So it's really not an issue of us trying to be amateur traffic consultants on the Deck figuring out how much it impacts the quality of the residents of a sidestreet to have truck traffic.

It's an issue of Lakewood residents-- and our Planning Commission-- being lied to and having their time and energy wasted. The Mayor and the Planning Director were also lied to but now it sounds like they don't mind. Or maybe they knew at the time. "Pssst, you can do what you want, say whatever you want, just don't write it down."

Or at least that's what it sounds like from the article. All of these meetings were on the record so in the end it won't be a matter of what "it sounds like" or of anyone's opinion. People can read the record. For now you should read the whole article so you know how this came about from a resident's point of view.

http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/read/20 ... be-learned


Betsy Voinovich

[Bill Trentel]

So to be clear, these residents are complaining about delivery trucks exiting the DDM driveway on their street and traveling approximately 150 feet north to Detroit? There are no houses in that 150 feet of Grace so what's the problem?

Yes,
The portion of the side street is within the commercially zoned area.

When there was an open car dealership located on that site their service doors were on the same street, parts delivery and tow trucks were there all the time. I'm sure more then 27 a week.

Yes, Mr. O'Bryan let's ban commercial traffic on all side streets, We'll fill Detroit with delivery trucks that will only be able to deliver through the front door. Ex. Lakewood Hospital, Lakewood Library, Rozi's, on and on. Or are you planning on giving exceptions to your "special" businesses? Not to mention having to wheel all the large trash dumpsters out onto Detroit to be picked up.

Let's face it, a couple residents on Grace were happier with a derelict car dealership then a successful retailer.They are never gong to be happy. If you buy a house four doors away from Detroit Ave., I think you can expect some commercial activity to be taking place within a couple 100 feet of your door. It's like buying a house on the side of the street with parking then complaining that there are cars parked in front of your house all the time.

Bill

[Betsy Voinovich]

Bill,

The point is still that a condition of the Planning Commission approving this deal was that there would be no side street truck traffic. Look at the notes from the meetings.

In terms of it setting precedents for how residents and their concerns are dealt with by the City, it is appalling.

This is a separate issue from whether truck traffic is good.

It is an issue of the City of Lakewood respecting its residents. Everyone agreed, "no truck traffic on side streets," and corporations that build here lying in people's faces to get what they want. And our city leaders supporting this behavior

Betsy Voinovich

[Jim O'Bryan]

Yes, Mr. O'Bryan let's ban commercial traffic on all side streets, We'll fill Detroit with delivery trucks that will only be able to deliver through the front door. Ex. Lakewood Hospital, Lakewood Library, Rozi's, on and on. Or are you planning on giving exceptions to your "special" businesses? Not to mention having to wheel all the large trash dumpsters out onto Detroit to be picked up.

Bill, I have no problems getting out deliveries on Detroit. Rozi's get most of their stuff to the
front door so does Burger King, Root Cafe, Deagen's etc.

This city went COMMERCIAL Economic Development nuts after the Westend loss. Anything to
keep their taxes low. (I figure they seriously overbought) and the war has been on to
marginalize, and destroy residential neighborhoods in "central" Lakewood.

Look at the Futrell Projet, that was embraced by civic leaders. Everything between
Manor Park, and Lakeland a big mall with a ring road. The power brokers in this town
are bankrupt of ideas, and have been whores to "big business" and "box stores." That
have never, ever, ever lived up to the BS hype from city hall and the 7 groups lobbying
for business in Lakewood.

5 residents on Grace? How about the 50 on Westwood? The 25 on Hall? The 32 on Nicholson?
the 24 on Cohassett? the 50 on Franklin and Wayne? The 22 on Spring Garden? The 22
on Bunts, the 1,000 plus that fought the Westend, and soon everyone off Madison and the
same guys that screwed up Detroit and Detroit Traffic are back for another fun time.

It is so pitiful, I pray someone is getting kickbacks, so the war on residents makes some sense.

Bill, I grew up in a great bedroom community, not Belden Village.

If the war continues, I say we start voting on developing the lake front.

It is getting old.

.