The Observation Deck

To compare Lakewood to Cooperstown is a HUGE stretch. Cooperstown is in the middle of rural New York. (I believe the closest city, Syracuse, is over an hour away). Cooperstown LIVES because of baseball. They embrace youth baseball. Last week the Lakewood Bobcats (12 year old boys) participated in a one week, 96 team tournament with teams from all over the US. (This was the 12th weekly tournament of this season) Check their Chamber of Commerce and you'll find baseball, baseball and more baseball. That may be why they choose to keep a diamond in the heart of their down town. (That and the National Baseball Hall of Fame). This is Cooperstown's identity. If Cooperstown feels the need to develop (add retail, motels or housing) they can do so with the ample land that surrounds them.

What is Lakewood's identity? Lakewood is completely developed. It's an inner ring suburb, neighboring a major metropolitan city. Lakewood's "commercial district" is adjoined by Mars, Arthur, Lakeland, Virginia, French, Cook and all the other residential streets. Residents should be able to walk (or cycle) to more than shops and fast food.

I think the biggest thing I completely agree with from Jay's post is the idea to host community meetings, ala the school building project. The key is not to just have a meeting and a gripe session (as I think most public meetings seem to be). For them to work, City officials have to be open to the idea that the final proposal might not be what they originally thought it might be. It also means that we, as citizens, must expect the same. But going in with the idea that each meeting has a focused goal and a final outcome in mind and when that outcome is reached, action is expected. That action could be a ballot initiative as done by the schools, a budget proposal, whatever. Regardless, it has to be much more than simply "gathering information" which is the same thing as "gathering moss" to me.

Is the City and it's Citizens willing to support such gatherings? It worked extremely well for the schools. I did a bunch of those meetings and they were the most organized, focused and outcome-driven public meetings I have ever witnessed. Do we have the people to run such meetings? The Schools hired a firm to run them, correct? Could we do that again or do we have the leadership amongst ourselves to take that model and apply it on our own?

In two public meetings held for the Detroit Streetscape Design project, the community identified the Drug Mart strip, parking lot, and possibly Kaufmann Park as areas for redevelopment.

A presentation of the streetscape design concept, which takes into consideration the input of the community and that of the steering committee (with RTA, ODOT and NOACA, First Energy, City and resident representatives on board) will be presented Tuesday, August 28th at Grant Elementary at 7PM.

The streetscape design plan was funded by a $75,000 NOACA grant that was applied for jointly by Main Street Lakewood and the City of Lakewood in 2006.

Please come Tuesday night and comment on the vision built through resident input which reflects not only potential commercial/retail/ mixed use development areas along Detroit (including the Drug Mart strip) but also, and just as important, the community's desire for a pedestrian and bike friendly downtown.

Mary Anne

Just a Reminder...Tonight, Grant School at 7:00 PM!

Bill Grulich

In two public meetings held for the Detroit Streetscape Design project, the community identified the Drug Mart strip, parking lot, and possibly Kaufmann Park as areas for redevelopment.

A presentation of the streetscape design concept, which takes into consideration the input of the community and that of the steering committee (with RTA, ODOT and NOACA, First Energy, City and resident representatives on board) will be presented Tuesday, August 28th at Grant Elementary at 7PM.

The streetscape design plan was funded by a $75,000 NOACA grant that was applied for jointly by Main Street Lakewood and the City of Lakewood in 2006.

Please come Tuesday night and comment on the vision built through resident input which reflects not only potential commercial/retail/ mixed use development areas along Detroit (including the Drug Mart strip) but also, and just as important, the community's desire for a pedestrian and bike friendly downtown.

Mary Anne

I think the redevelopment of Kaufmann Park into anything other than public use should involve a level of community involvement much greater than this. I grew up in a community with very few public parks and tons of mixed use development and it was miserable. Give me a park any day.

And two places I've been to with community access ball fields in the center of town? Manhattan Island and Brooklyn, NY, in their Central and Prospect parks, respectively. Both wonderful places to visit, and, according to the people I visit there, fantastic places to live.

A cherished memory of living on Andrews backing up to the park was the amazing sunsets over the field. Once a vast green space is gone it's almost impossible to reclaim. Let's proceed cautiously with the limited wide open spaces we have.

Kate McCarthy wrote:A cherished memory of living on Andrews backing up to the park was the amazing sunsets over the field. Once a vast green space is gone it's almost impossible to reclaim. Let's proceed cautiously with the limited wide open spaces we have.

Even though I think that Kaufmann Park is ripe for development I agree with your statement.

The City dropped the ball in it's dealings with the Cleveland Clinic, Beck Center and Marc's Plaza. If the planners come up with another Marc's Plaza then forget about it.

My own preference?

Green space between the Christian Science building and the Masonic Temple with an area for a restaurant with a patio facing the park. In the rear a larger Drug Mart with other stores.

In exchange for the larger store, Drug Mart would close its other store on Detroit. That area all the way to the tracks would be the location of a new ball park bordered by the (expanded) Rockport Square.

The general idea would be to have just as much green space as we have now.

My underlying assumptions?

1. If residents had a place to shop in Lakewood they would.
2. The more you shop in Lakewood the more likely you are to visit a restaurant in Lakewood.
3. The added economic activity would generate tax dollars for the City.
4. Lakewood has an abundance of affordable housing, losing some for a park or an expanded Rockport Square is a net plus.
5. Expect a lot of opposition because Lakewood is comfortable in its decline.

deleted

Bill

And once again the pigs take flight! It's interesting that as part of the overall future vision that fueled the Robert AM Stern library design, there was a hope that someday the Library would overlook a green space, instead of a curbside strip mall....

Jeff

Any notes from the presentation last night?

In terms of the redevelopment of the Drug Mart building, it seemed clear that this was at the top of the list. It was made clear though that the future of Kaufmann Park was a separate issue from the Main Street program's streetscape recommendations. Overall, I thought that the recommendations were very exciting and the questions that were raised (and there were a few very insightful comments) seemed to be taken under consideration.

With some of the other comments posted here, I continue to scratch my head at the premise that this particular diamond is not a valuable attribute to our city. Particularly strange is the selective logic that is applied in this scenerio. My perception is that we want to praise ourselves for walkability, yet take away something that would be a destination. I didn't realize that so many in Lakewood were so against something that is normally associated with Americana, on top of that a field that was dedicated to a great in the game. If there can be a strong enough lobby to halt progress at the cost of an abandoned Hall House plopped right on Detroit Road then certainly I would expect a voice against eliminating a baseball field that is used regularly and actually brings people to the center of town. How does an old building that creates an attractive nuisance curry more favor than a field of green (located adjacent to the main commercial/retail district- let's not fool ourselves with the idea that it disrupts the flow of our economy)? I'm very glad to see that so many have voiced caution in acting on this desire to develop and in the process eliminate a positive attribute. Time will tell if anyone was really listening. The promise of replacing green with green seems to leave out what function it will serve. I have yet to hear a compromise of relocating the field lost within Lakewood (except from Bill Call which while that is supportive may not yield a result). And the rebuild of Harding simply gets the city back to where they were 2 years ago. This premise of eliminating Foxx field seems to have more spin than a curveball and if executed will be a victim of opportunity. Again, I see no reason that the Drug Mart strip mall can not be redeveloped with a significant patch of green for Jeff to look out over AND retain Foxx Field.

Shawn Juris wrote:I have yet to hear a compromise of relocating the field lost within Lakewood (except from Bill Call which while that is supportive may not yield a result).

The idea would be to use tax increment financing to tie two developments together. Develop Kaufman, build a small park across from the Library, close the Drug Mart on the East end of Detroit build a ball park on that site with additional development etc...

$15 million could be raised with that type of financing agrangement.

According to today's Sun Post the administrations idea is to sell the park for a song and dance and use the small amount of money generated to put in bleachers at Cove Park.

If that's the case I say forget the whole thing.

The plans put forward and discussed were admirable. A definate improvement on the current Detroit streetscape.

As Shawn said, Kaufmann Park was not part of the plan, except that in the presentation slides concerning the Drug Mart strip, the "before" plans had Foxx Field, and the "after" plans had a contoured open space that the Planning Director informed the meeting was designated as "mixed use development". From where I was sitting, I could not ascertain whether the houses on the west side of Andrews and the east side of Lakeland that back onto Foxx Field were also part of the mixed use designation.

The plan for Detroit, as presented, included additional green space. I can not remember the exact amount - 4 acres or so? that seemed to be counting every planter and every tree. I would hate to see the Administration sell a Park where a kid can throw a ball 100+ feet in exchange for a multitude of streetscape planters and say it's an even exchange.

In a city that is as densely populated as Lakewood is - most densely populated between NYC and Chicago is often mentioned, is this still the case? - it makes no sense to sell a well used Park/Ballfield to private development.

As Bill Call wrote

"According to today's Sun Post the administrations idea is to sell the park for a song and dance and use the small amount of money generated to put in bleachers at Cove Park.

If that's the case I say forget the whole thing."

If that is the case, I concur, forget it!

Once again, I find myself marveling at Bill's wisdom.

Forget the whole thing? Maybe YEAH!

Why? Well...........

Many people might be unaware at just how old and established that little strip mall is. In a way, (and I hear the economic developmentalists moaning and groaning already!) we could probably apply for a HISTORIC PRESERVATION for that area.

Huh? WHAT did Gary say about this little STRIP MALL???????

Well, ya'll, it seems that this here little strip mall was one of the very early efforts in the good ol' US of A to modernize and make more convenient, the shopping experience along a street car line.

The Drug Mart building was once an A&P supermarket, in the days before WWII, when supermarkets were quite the novelty and very much the up and coming thing! Next to it going East sat Fisher Brothers, and next to that, a fully modern bowling facility and other stores. The head-in parking made it extremely convenient for customers to quickly pull up and step right under rain and snow cover and start shopping.

That little strip mall is indeed, a historic classic!

The ball field behind made this entire area a civic magnet and a multi-use facility that was the envy of many towns.

These days, when we trek to the outer 'burbs, we park in the middle of a wasteland, and are drenched before coming up to anything remotely resembling shelter, if we don't fall on the icy parking lot first.

Wanna see a sports game? Get ready to drive and drive and then, to lighten your wallet to possibly see lackadaisical or indifferent efforts by millionaires.

Just my opinion of course.

But take a walk into Kaufman Park and mosey over to the ball diamond.
You will see for free, fantastic effort and great games, in the heart of Lakewood.

Let's be cautious when monied business interests come along and want to take away what we already have, whatever that might be. Improvements are not always what they're cracked up to be.

'Course all this is just the opinion of a banjo picker, and what does HE know?

What is going to be done with the old Giant Eagle space on Detroit and Bunts (sw corner)?


Does the city have any plans for the schoold that are going off line? Could more green space be created this way?

I find it interesting to look at a map of Lakewood compared to West Park. The must be something that is being misrepresented by these maps because clearly Lakewood is better, right? So Lakewood has Lakewood Park, Madison Park, Kaufmann (listed as Clifton Park) and Edwards. Now look at the number of green space shown in West Park http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?ci ... om=6#north. This is not comparing rural farm land to our community, this is another area that has been built out yet appears to have more focus on providing green space within walking distance from their residents.
Feel free to throw in the Metroparks. I've considered that a wash since West Park shares in their proximity.

I don't think that there is much argument that the parks need our attention. Kaufman Park, particularly Little Links needs something done to better utilize this resource. I honestly hope that we're not ready to give up a park for a drug store.
While we're discussing the topic, I'm curious if anyone has been to a large Drug Mart that could describe what they're promising. I was there yesterday and must have put out of my mind the feel of Drug Mart. I had forgotten that the care and consideration of their display area rival that of the Bernie Schulmans/Marc's plan. Boxes everywhere, displays in the middle of the aisles, poorly lit, poorly cared for... it sounds alot like the complaints that were aired about the parks over the past year.