The Observation Deck

Betsy Voinovich wrote:Seven points of our Community Vision are served by busing drunk people around.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:I really do not care if the bars get together and create a party bus, to get drunks from bar to bar. Far better than having them stumble and puke everywhere. In front of my house I have had three trees pulled out by drunks, my neighbors have had their gardens and patios ruined by drunks on Friday and Saturday night. So maybe busing them from bar to bar makes sense to those that prey on drunks, and those who think it is a proper brand for a community that used to be proud of their trees, parks and families.

But you have to admit, it is a drastic change in direction.

Eight years ago, I was covering Councilmen Butler and Dever talking to residents at McCarthys's who were ready to take policing bars into their own hands. One 70-year-old talked about sitting on his porch night after night with a baseball bat, to stop drunks from messing up his yard. Kevin Butler now our law director correctly begged him to leave it to the police. At that time it was Councilman Butler who told the bar owners, "Ward 1 could vote itself a dry ward and end it all," and he would push for that if trouble continued. Now as Law Director, he is spending his time not just working on city issues, but also looking at should we bus the drunks around town?!

Likewise we have the next big attack coming from the bars and restaurants. The manager of Dewey's openly talks about the need for more parking. I completely understand the need for businesses to have enough parking. But which came here first, the residents or the bars? Well, Dewey's placed a 120 person restaurant/bar into a tight area that has 6 of the most popular bars and restaurants in the city. To my knowledge they had about 10 parking places when they moved in. At no time did anyone every promise them more parking. They have not lost parking, nope. They have become popular.

Well in the past the number of dedicated parking spots regulated your occupancy permit. Angelos pizza found this out. After rebuilding Meilander Hardware and building an approved rebuild, they were told to get rid of half of their seating as parking did not exist, It was only the intervention of a neighbor with parking that allowed them to open with seating for 25!

Perhaps the city should look at a moratorium on restaurants / bars and big box stores until we can actually look at what we have, what we need for where the residents aka the voters would like to see the city stand for and become in the future. How many more millions are we making off taxes off the last big boom in businesses? Is it paying off, how much?

Maybe Dewey's occupancy should have been questioned. When Barroco opened their back room, it was shut down. One reason not enough parking, so they were given the same parking as Mahall's, Madison Park, the same family park that a pro-business anti-resident councilman Juris shut down at dusk as the city was unable to keep it safe and clean. Really? If they are closed, then chain the lots.

So as we cater more and more to business especially the bar business, we can expect them to want bigger and bigger parking lots, and the only place they will come from is the nice, quiet, peaceful, neighborly residential neighborhoods. We are a built out community. This is why we lost parking at Kauffman Park to Quaker Steak and Lube, another park declared unclean and unsafe by councilman Juris and Mayor Summers.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12590

Grace O'Malley wrote:My thoughts, exactly. It's turning into a real joke. Nine bar owners can't come up with $12,000 a quarter for a service they think will benefit their business?

Always looking for someone else to pay the bill.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Now let's really throw some more fuel on this. Mel Page was trying to start her own Lakewood
bus line and had actually purchased a bus or two from Lorain. She mentioned it to the city
and others and I believe the Observer was the only person willing to help with it. City Hall
and members of Council back then thought it was a silly idea.

Now to throw more fuel on City Hall is home to small thinking. They join with RTA is shutting
down the very shuttles they need now. Then they go against seniors, and students, because
let's be honest, students and seniors mean nothing to City Hall. Then they say no to a
locally owned bus, that would have been perfect for this, and work against it. Then it is
pointed out to them that there is a "brown field" that would make a perfect parking lot
for the bars on the right side of Lakewood, and would be a proven way to build up the
area, and now use it for a large parking lot for buses, but because small minds are usually
petty minds, they said NO WAY, even though it would work, they didn't like a couple people
involved. They had ZERO DEALINGS with them, but had heard some "things." and decided
it would be better to run them out of business then help them with parking!!!!