The Observation Deck

I haven't followed the "Birdtown Brewery" story very closely, so perhaps this is old news.

They want to convert some Birdtown streets to one-way in order to increase street parking?
This sounds like a potential mess.

http://www.cleveland.com/lakewood/index ... y_str.html

Any Birdtown residents want to weigh in? Turning my neighborhood upside down for a brewery is not something I would want where I'm at, but I'm interested in hearing their view. Having attended St. Cyril and Methodius for a number of years, I think I know what the Slovak ladies would be saying right about now. We still miss you, Helen Pohorence....

Honestly, there are so many streets in Lakewood that are so narrow and SHOULD be one way anyway (quite a few in Birdtown actually), that this does not bother me at all. It makes sense to me. I think it might make some of these streets safer for both pedestrians and vehicular traffic as well.

One-way streets alone would not deter speeding (but IMHO would actually ecourage it because of the lack of oncoming traffic creating the illusion of safe passage). The real key are the bumpouts or other traffic-calming considerations.

They would not be doing the one way streets for safety, it's for parking for the Brewery. It's the residents who will have to deal with going around the block to get out of Birdtown, or to find parking.

Paul Schrimpf wrote:They would not be doing the one way streets for safety, it's for parking for the Brewery. It's the residents who will have to deal with going around the block to get out of Birdtown, or to find parking.

First of the term "brewery" develops great visions of craft beer artisans working over huge copper kettles cranking out their brand of brew... The truth is far from this vision. It is my understanding their purchased their system from used from the Beer Engine, who are helping them install it.

In the state of Ohio, a "Brewery" only needs to produce 5 gallons of their own beer a year. Hence they were able to say "You will never smell the hops" to the neighbors with a straight face. That "Brewery" can serve 20,000 beers from other people, and has a full liquor license, and only needs one tap with their brand at the bar. This is how the switch happens. This is how a quit neighborhood becomes the home of a 250 seat sports bar that serves beer. I do not believe the city has been honest with the residents about any of this.

Of course they were not honest about McDonald's, Drug Mart, Lakewood Hospital, Marc's Plaza, the Westend, and on and on and on. So they shoe horn in our 238th place to get food tacos and wings I hear, and then go through all sorts of BS to try and make it work. Like the "traffic calming" on a street that never needed to be calmed before.

This city hates residents and loves business, especially if they serve alcohol.

"We still miss you, Helen Pohorence...." I loved that woman and her little house. Always time for a slice of pizza and a conversation.

The real question is why are the residents continually rolling over on the all out assault on our neighborhoods, by people "playing" city hall?

.

"We want a vibrant, active city.
But no new development."

"We want our old buildings that have been abandoned by their owners not to lay fallow, rot, and blight our neighborhoods.
But only if it is being reused for something we deem appropriate and like."

"We want amenities to stay and come to Lakewood so that we don't have to drive out to Crocker Park for a pair of pants and a beer.
But only if it doesnt inconvenience the fastest path to my garage. And only if it is something *I* personally would use."

"We want our neighborhoods to be walkable and bikeable.
But only as long as you do not inconvenience me in my car."

I think about all of these things as my commute gets longer as we now have more people living on the near west side. I think about how it's harder to find a street spot when I need one because Lakewood has so much going on. I think about this as reasons I chose Lakewood in which to live because I didn't want to live in a town where there was only housing developments and nothing else nearby. Growing pains and the trade offs made. Only an individual can personally decide what they think is right, important, or what changes they are willing to put up with.

Lakewood, with its density and mixed development, always has to walk a fine line in this way and hope to strike the right balance. Whether or not one agrees with the new balances being struck is entirely subjective.

This is unique in its wide ranging impact on the neighborhood. Not that other developments have not significantly impacted neighborhoods like McDonalds, but changing street flow over the entire neighborhood for one business is pretty severe. It does show how far the city will go to accommodate a business... farther than I thought possible, to be honest. But I'd love to hear what BT residents have to say.

Valerie Molinski wrote:"We want a vibrant, active city.
But no new development."

"We want our old buildings that have been abandoned by their owners not to lay fallow, rot, and blight our neighborhoods.
But only if it is being reused for something we deem appropriate and like."

"We want amenities to stay and come to Lakewood so that we don't have to drive out to Crocker Park for a pair of pants and a beer.
But only if it doesnt inconvenience the fastest path to my garage. And only if it is something *I* personally would use."

"We want our neighborhoods to be walkable and bikeable.
But only as long as you do not inconvenience me in my car."

I think about all of these things as my commute gets longer as we now have more people living on the near west side. I think about how it's harder to find a street spot when I need one because Lakewood has so much going on. I think about this as reasons I chose Lakewood in which to live because I didn't want to live in a town where there was only housing developments and nothing else nearby. Growing pains and the trade offs made. Only an individual can personally decide what they think is right, important, or what changes they are willing to put up with.

Lakewood, with its density and mixed development, always has to walk a fine line in this way and hope to strike the right balance. Whether or not one agrees with the new balances being struck is entirely subjective.

Valerie

First I have never said I am against any commercial economic development in this city.

So let's throw that one away, I tied myself to no schools, theaters or empty car lots to
stop commercial economic development.

I am against the city continually lying and misrepresenting the truth to us. Like McDonald's
which was 100% developed by the city and taken to McDonald's so that the Bin could stay
competitive.

However we do have a city with no plan, that came completely out of the thought ONLY
COMMERCIAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT can keep us whole, which means our taxes low.
And it is just BS, 100% BS. Where are the benefits from burning millions and millions
downtown? They do not exist. Actually we are finding out that with commercial
development costs more that anyone thought to maintain, and that with our completely
hacked to death City Hall, they do not have the ability to manage the new flow.

As far as driving to Crocker Park? It is a 15 minute drive at best. In Rush hour in the county
you can make it to Legacy Village in 27 minutes. I have spent more time than that on
on-ramps in Chicago, New York, Detroit, etc. It is all BS, and we share taxes from Crocker
Park, and Legacy Village already, so we do not need to create another mall here.

The fines line Lakewood walks, or has fallen over like a drunk at a Frat Party, keep
Commercial Businesses out of the residential parts of the community. Seems easy enough
to understand. NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE NEXT TO MCDONALDS.

I was talking with some "civic leaders" today about poverty in Lakewood, Ian Andrews head
of LakewoodAlive nailed it. Housing is what will retain Lakewood's value, not bars. And
anything that brings down home values should be looked at very, very, very carefully.

But the City, especially Planning and Development, a department that is incapable of either
has turned into the county sluts, give us anything, anything at all, we will put it somewhere.

The City of Lakewood has lost its way.

To go back to the original question. The neighborhood is making its way for bar patrons,
because a bar was put in where there was not enough parking, which should have sent
signals out to all the Boards, this is a stupid illegal according to them idea. If you have a
sports bar, what it really is with 200 seats, only an idiot would put it where there is parking
for 50, 75, or so. Which was always the case with this built 100% on lies nightmare.

.

JOB, I specifically did not type "you" in my thread and changed them all to "one" as I did not wish to imply that I was specifically addressing anyone. Other than that, you are missing my point on Crocker Park, et al.

Birdtown is not a true residential area as it was changed by council to a district with a mixed use overlay on it to spur revitalization of that area of the city. That happened in 2008. Was it thriving as ONLY a residential area? I never saw that in the time I have lived here.

And businesses are clamoring to open in Lakewood. It's been crazy in the last five years and that is a good thing, IMO. And it's a brewery and gastropub, from what has been proposed.

NanoBrew, Platform, Market Garden, GLBC = Brewery
Brew133, Harry Buffalo, Johnny Malloys = sports bar
Huge difference in business types.

Bottom line is, with the advent of a business taking over that church, the residents expressed concern over traffic and parking. The response was that a study was commissioned which suggested a better flow for that traffic concern and addition of parking could happen if one block of four streets could be converted to one way.

But for me? The housing in Lakewood works because of its density and nearby amenities that I am able to utilize from my home.

If you have a sports bar, what it really is with 200 seats, only an idiot would put it where there is parking
for 50, 75, or so.

And honestly, as a person who takes urban planning and density seriously, I cannot disagree with this more. I cannot advocate huge parking lots to accomodate one business or plan for every single patron to drive separately and provide a spot for that many people.

I agree with the city's move (and many other cities have done this) to advocate for parking maximums rather than a minimum. What makes active and vibrant cities are places where you might have to walk to, or on-street parking, or park a couple blocks away from because you didnt provide a huge sea of suburban style parking. Get people out of their cars and on foot to appreciate neighborhoods more.

Specifically related to this business, if you think this brewery cannot work, I suggest you take a trip down to Lexington and experience West Sixth Brewing Company. It is a brewery in a very similar neighborhood location, artsy, a little rough around the edges, mix of mainly residential. It has brought a lot of life to that mainly residential area and is a huge catalyst for that neighborhood in very good ways.

I'm beginning to think that Valerie is Shawn Juris' wife . . . . .

Amy Martin wrote:I'm beginning to think that Valerie is Shawn Juris' wife . . . . .

Nope. Know how you can tell? I love chickens. I dont want any of my own, but I support the pro-chicken movement. I lived next to some in my old neighborhood (with even smaller lots than Lakewood) and you would not even know they were there.

VIVA EL POLLO!

EDIT: The opinions expressed on this page and in real life are my own and do not represent the views or opinions of any others related to me. If you know me IRL, you would know this is true x eleventy billion.

Sixth Street is an interesting business, and it's as you described because they've made a commitment to be that kind of a community responsive business...one can only hope these folks do the same for Lakewood/Birdtown. I wonder if the Sixth Street folks were allowed to do what they did because they laid out the plan in advance.

[url]http://www.westsixth.com/about-us/[/url]