Kaufman/Foxx survey

[Annie Stahlheber]

I am like many of you who are not really sure of how safe the park is, or how well maintained it is. This is because I don't really go to parks - I work a lot and am busily organizing our shares for the City Fresh program.

My suggestion is to have people actually start using the park. I used to play tennis there all the time when I lived on Elmwood. Now, the Rosewood courts are closer to my house. If parents are scared to bring their children there after school, maybe it would be safer - more influential to 'scary' people if play groups or events were scheduled there. I used to sled there as well during the winter. Not that this was very exciting, because the hill is not steep at all, but it is still a great location for a snowball fight. If people want to save the park, we need to prove that people actually use it and are vocal about it. The more fun and enjoyable the park is, the easier it will be to save.

I agree with the need for playground equipment. Maybe we could get a grant from KaBOOM!

~Annie

[Christina McCallum]

Reading the latest posts earlier, my 8-year old disagreed with you, James.

"Does a park need playground equipment? No." 8-year old read. "Of course a park needs playground equipment!"

I suppose it all depends on your point of view and what's important to you. Playgrounds are important to kids.

[lisa shaffer-gill]

If it's been noted and I missed it in this thread, I apologize. Kaufmann park is safe enough that it's the one used for outdoor play for the YMCA all day preschool program. Since daycare was put out of the new Y in favor a Lakewood Hospital rehab program, they are renting space from the Methodist church on the corner of Summit and Detroit. Unless an unadvertised plan is in the works, this seems to be their plan. Some days the kids play in the parking lot of the church if the weather is iffy, and they don't know if they can make the walk both ways without getting caught in the weather. I'm not kidding, they do however play in one corner and set up orange cones for safety. If Kaufmann park is sold or redeveloped I wonder what the Y kids will do. The Y doesn't seem to have a plan or the finances to support the daycare program in the way it should be. In the end, the kids lose. Again.

[James Mullen]

In response to Christine, and my post regarding whether a park needs a playground. I think you will find not only in Northeast Ohio, but across the country places, dubbed "parks" that do not offer a playground. To be perfectly honest most places that are "parks" in downtown areas such as the proposed development would encompass, do not offer playgrounds with their "parks". So as much as I think playgrounds are necessary in a community, I do not think they are necessary to have something determined a "park". If you take a look at areas across northeast ohio as I said, it is typical to see a playground in a neighborhood park, i.e. in lakewood cove park, or rosewood park. In areas of business and bustle you tend to see green space with limited recreation, but is appealing for walkers, and lounging, i.e. voinovich park, and many others in downtown cleveland. Each type of "park" serves a useful purpose.

[Brad Hutchison]

Kaufmann has rather nice playground equipment, doesn't it?

Lynn, I'm intrigued by your town square idea, but I'm afraid it would cause a traffic nightmare on Detroit, unless it was more of a town round. Still, I don't know that there is enough space to do it big enough to be worthwhile.

[Joe Whisman]

Why don't all those who want Crocker Park in Lakewood move to Crocker Park? I for one enjoy Lakewood for it's own character. Let's not forget Crocker Park is a fake town. I don not participate it the "lifestyle" that lifestyle centers want to project. Conspicuous consumption is a threat to our planet. We can not sustain it. Americans have the largest carbon footprint per capita in the world. You can not change this by shopping.
What kind of "lifestyle" do you want? Let's bring the park to Detroit Ave. and dump the worthless shopping. There is much more important things than the American dollar.

[Dee Martinez]

Why don't all those who want Crocker Park in Lakewood move to Crocker Park? I for one enjoy Lakewood for it's own character. Let's not forget Crocker Park is a fake town. I don not participate it the "lifestyle" that lifestyle centers want to project. Conspicuous consumption is a threat to our planet. We can not sustain it. Americans have the largest carbon footprint per capita in the world. You can not change this by shopping.
What kind of "lifestyle" do you want? Let's bring the park to Detroit Ave. and dump the worthless shopping. There is much more important things than the American dollar.

I would respond that with, "why dont all those who want to live in a twee little place like Chagrin Falls move to Chagrin Fallls?"

I for one enjoy Lakewood because it combines (or used to), affordable housing and decent schools with the conveniences of life, which include the purchase of goods and services. Over the years Ive been here, Ive seen many of those goods and services become unavailable in Lakewood. Further, I refuse to defend my level of consumption to anyone.

If this post irritates you, you may be assured the feeling is mutual. My hackles go up when anyone claims to be able to single-handedly define my city for me.

[Joe Whisman]

My point is do we need to take over park space for useless shopping? Why not take over vacant lots or closed stop fronts for the goods and services you want? Lakewood is not at all a forward thinking community. It is more like a ship in the fog getting ready to run into a bridge. The Kaufman Park issue is just one more example. A developer sees a cheap lot of green space, and fills pockets with some chump chains. They then wave a Pottery Barn, Trader Joe's and everyone jumps on the wagon. Ten years later your stuck with Marc's Plaza filled with empty store fronts and NO PARK.
I would like my city leaders to look at the big picture. All I see now is reactionary. I have said it before. Developers do not care about our town. They want our money and our park. We should not allow it. We should look to develop vacant store fronts and blighted spaces, and leave the parks alone.
I am not defining Lakewood to anyone. I am asking why destroy park space for consumerism?

[Tim Liston]

I think we have enough retail already....

[James Mullen]

I don't think anyone is saying to add a crocker park. We missed that boat when the west end project did not pass, there is just not enough space there. What we are talking about and some ideas have been shared not forced, is the coming together of a usable downtown for all residents. We all know Marc's plaza is not what it was intended to be, and by no means does it seem anyone is suggesting anything of that nature. That being said with the construction of the new library, and the redevelopment of the Science Church, we have a real chance to develop an area, and create a usable extension of downtown lakewood. We could keep some green space as suggested, and a mix use development. In the coming years the city will have available land to create a new park, in a more feasible location. If you take a hard look this park is underused, with the exception of the Adult Softball leagues. As already stated this is something that should not be overlooked, but at the same time it is also something that can be possibly relocated in the future. I think it is great this topic has stimulated great interest, and it should, decisions like these could very well determine the long term future of our city.

[Holly C. Whisman]

I would respond that with, "why dont all those who want to live in a twee little place like Chagrin Falls move to Chagrin Fallls?"

Who said anything about Chagrin Falls?

[Dee Martinez]

I would respond that with, "why dont all those who want to live in a twee little place like Chagrin Falls move to Chagrin Fallls?"

Who said anything about Chagrin Falls?

Who said anything about Crocker Park?

[Joe Whisman]

Are we not changing the name from Kaufman Park to Crocker Park? That is what the handout from the City of Lakewood made me think. Let's be real about this issue. Parkland to shopping and condos. I am against it. I believe it will be a bad deal for Lakewood. I would like to see what the groups who play baseball and softball on the field have to say about the removal of the baseball diamond. I guess they don't log on here, and that is probably a wise choice.

[Ivor Karabatkovic]

Joe,

I think it's a perfect place for a ballpark and the field is really, really nice.

I'd be concerned for a playground because kids tend to jump fences and trains tend to come unannounced here in Lakewood.

I'd rather fill the empty storefronts first. But all these buildings are old and need major re-development. Exterior and Interior. So that's why they don't fill. Too much money to renovate, and the city is a pain in the rear from what I hear.

We have Lakewood Park, LHS Stadium, Edwards, Madison Park, and the new Harding field that will go up soon. I don't know if the North Lot field at LHS will be available since the trailer park was established and will stay there for quite some time.

I think that's plenty for the Rec programs. If anything, they can use Tyler Field in the metroparks which isn't bad either.

I know for a fact that the Rec Department is working on making LHS stadium available for their summer programs. Baseball AND Soccer. I just had a meeting last week with Rick Berdine about LHS Stadium.

I wouldn't oppose a new shopping district if there were stores that are useful in it. Certainly if we took away Kaufman Park and Relocated Marc's in it and maybe another store that's already established here, I'd be against it.

As middle school kids we always took the RTA down to Westgate mall during summer days. Now it's Great Northern mall that we migrate to. I'll be migrating back to Rocky River once the new westgate shopping area opens up.

If we could have something like that in Lakewood...lets say...

Movie Theater that plays new releases
Clothing store for teens, like American Eagle
Ritz Camera (since there's no more camera stores in Lakewood)
Red Lobster
Plato's Closet
TJ Maxx

and then put a park smack dab in the middle of this whole thing for kids to play...

I think that could make a lot of people interested in the City of Lakewood again.

Right now, businesses don't invest in Lakewood because Lakewood doesn't invest in it's businesses.

[Robert Bobik]

I have read in several areas here that Marc's Plaza is not what it should be. I've lived in Lakewood 3 years, so the plaza was there when my family arrived. The plaza seems like it is fully occupied and reasonably clean, with a decent variety of shops, with the exception of the check cashing store. Parking is not ideal. What did the developer promise? What did it replace? There seems to be strong resentment concerning this plaza. Robert