North Ridgeville honored for master plan; could Lakewood?

[Tom Bullock]

In today's Plain Dealer, North Ridgeville was recognized for its good planning.

What does Lakewood need to do to win a similar honor?

http://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?/base/business/1164023936315650.xml?bxnbk&coll=2

The city of North Ridgeville master plan won the Smart Growth Community Excellence Award from the Smart Growth Education Foundation. The civil engineering firm KS Associates sponsored the award.

[Bill Call]

What does Lakewood need to do to win a similar honor?

Step one: Have a plan.

[ryan costa]

The award was from the Smart Growth Education Foundation.

Lakewood would have to have an abundance of cornfields, woodlands, and vacant lots. Then develop a plan for them. Presumably the award or recognition has some value.

[Jim O'Bryan]

The award was from the Smart Growth Education Foundation.

Lakewood would have to have an abundance of cornfields, woodlands, and vacant lots. Then develop a plan for them. Presumably the award or recognition has some value.

We could do a wall search.

I'm sure it is hanging somewhere.

Maybe a small trophy it was listed under:
"Popular Mechanics magazine gave its Editors Choice Award to Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s Eagle tire with ResponsEdge Technology during Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week in Las Vegas."

But 4 above:
"Litehouse Pools & Spas has opened stores at ...

Maybe it is shiny?

I put my shiny awards in a special box in the basement.


.

[Tom Bullock]

Lakewood would have to have an abundance of cornfields, woodlands, and vacant lots. Then develop a plan for them.

Not necessarily--Rockport & Rosewood are developing on former car dealerships. Could we demolish old vacant buildings that aren't renting? Lakewood has space, we just need to be smarter about it. That's why a "Smart Growth" award is truly what we need.

Question for discussion: what are the key elements of a smart growth plan you'd like to see?

I'd like Lakewood to develop a truly (park-and-)walkable commercial district downtown. A place with room for sidewalk cafes and room for a weekend outdoor market in good weather. Improving our commercial amenities will improve our tax base and home values.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I'd like Lakewood to develop a truly (park-and-)walkable commercial district downtown. A place with room for sidewalk cafes and room for a weekend outdoor market in good weather. Improving our commercial amenities will improve our tax base and home values.

Tom

I hate to go against the norm. But we already have a pretty nice park on the lake. I would love to see the peninsula built as it addresses all your needs and wants and more.

Tom Barrett at Rosewood Place has it right. Store fronts built back far enough for store front cafes. Other smart thinkers were Hairy Buffalo and Johnny Malloy's with their bar being ables to be opened to the elements when it is nice. A better option maybe when you realize that half of the year patios are not being used. Like a stadium without a dome. Nice, sure, but not practical in this economy.

The area just north of the library, Kaufman Park should be leveled. It has been going on six years that I have been advocating turning Kaufman Park into a "Cain Park". Stage, winding sidewalks, maybe a little pavilion that could be rented or used. Down Detroit I would place buildings like those on Lee and Mayfield. 4 stories British Tudors, slate roof, high end shops on the first floor, offices on floor 2, and lofts on floor 3 and 4. Then go back and get the Great Lake Shakespear Festival to use the stage area along with bands that normally run $4,000 - $9,000 a night.

The area could be used for the Art Festival, Beck Center, book fairs, all sorts of stuff. Still have roughs laying around from 1999 I believe.

As long as we are tearing down. Silver Coast, Hillard Theater, and all surrounding buildings in the triangle. Put up a really nice, really odd pointed all glass office building that fills the footprint. 20 or more stories. Parking underground. This will help restaurants and businesses in the area. Workers can go over to the two gyms, walk in the park at lunch and get on the freeway if they choose not to live hear in 6 minutes!

Then we add three more condos to the Gold Coast. Also look for people to buy the first 5 condos as you come in from Cleveland tear down build twice as large.

Another 10,000 residents, and 5,000 year round workers would do wonders for this town. I am not decadent or rich enough to even understand tearing down ANY property in the CENTER of town for a park. That in theory is our most valuable commercial areas.

.

[Bill Call]

The area just north of the library, Kaufman Park should be leveled. It has been going on six years that I have been advocating turning Kaufman Park into a "Cain Park".

According to a Drug Mart employee, Drug Mart is interested in using Kaufman Park to build a new, larger super Drug Mart. It seems like a good idea to me. Kaufman Park is underutilized. In exchange the city could create a fine park on the current Drug Mart location.

A nice park framed by the Christian Science Building and the Mason's Building would be a real asset to the City.

Is any of this on the City's master plan?

[Jeff Endress]

Kaufman Park is used primarily by non-Lakewood citizens to play softball. Continued maintenance of the Park makes less sense than a Football stadium on the Lake used 10 days a year.....at least with the Browns stadium, there's a significant economic multiplier. The current Drug Mart site, together with Kaufman Park presents a HUGE possibility for retail/residential development, and unlike other areas, the city would be in control of the site by virtue of ownership of Kaufman. Maintain a smaller park, but raze the strip mall, move the whole development north, a couple dozen "empty nester" condos, a Drug Mart anchor and some fresh retail. Sort of a (excuse me) mini West End, without the eminent domain. The overall economic impact would be huge, not to mention the street scene improvement, and the loss would be minimal. And instead of the city being forced to take whatever a devloper is willing to give on a site developer-owned, the city could drive the entire project. And so the boys from Bay would have to find another field......

Jeff

[Bill Call]

Kaufman Park is used primarily by non-Lakewood citizens to play softball. ..........And so the boys from Bay would have to find another field......

Jeff

Ditto's

The City had a lot of leverage when Marc's Plaza was built and got taken to the cleaners.

The City had a lot of leverage 25 years ago when they let go of the armory and got nothing in return.

What are the odds that IF this idea takes hold the City will make use of its leverage?

[Tom Bullock]

Interesting proposals--to raze Drug Mart and create open space at its current site.

If we are going to undergo such extensive open-heart surgery, I'd want to see a quantum leap forward in a beautified streetscape and higher-quality retail. Do we need to impound public land and destroy green park space to build... a big box discount store? Can't we do better? A Heinen's at least? (I've heard many complaints that Tops/Giant Eagle don't cut it. ) How about a book store and place to buy appliances?

More's the point, when visitors/residents come to the newly redone commercial downtown, it should be BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN, PLEASANT to spend time there. That means a consistent design standard, upgraded streetscapes, and well-thought out places for people to park, hitch bikes, stroll, sit, have a drink on a plaza/patio, people watch, shop at an outdoor market, watch an art fest or music performance, even share their mind at a Lakewood "Speaker's Corner" (a la Hyde Park in London).

A revamped downtown MUST compete with the cleanliness/beauty/pleasantness/efficiency quality standard set by Crocker Park. It's GOT to pass the "I know it when I see it" test. No more limping along on a Chipoltle and few Caribou tables right on top of traffic.

[Bill Call]

.......More's the point, when visitors/residents come to the newly redone commercial downtown, it should be BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN, PLEASANT to spend time there. That means a consistent design standard, upgraded streetscapes, and well-thought out places........

What you are describing is doable and desirable but it won't happen without visionary leadership. In other words, forget it.

And don't forget the first rule of city politics and new ideas - Your idea is bad and my idea is good.

[Shawn Juris]

Maybe Kaufman is underutilized by Lakewood Residents. Why doesn't the rec schedule more of their games there? I'm not clear on the statement about out of towners using the field. Is it rented out to other cities while Lakewood's rec department sends everyone down to the valley? I don't see the need to raze one of the only two decent fields in Lakewood because Drug Mart wants to expand. I've played Lakewood Rec Softball on Sunday evening for the past two years and maybe an eighth of our games were at Kaufman. Most are played at the field in the Metroparks. These fields are terrible and do nothing for Lakewood business (20 something softball players tend to go out afterwards and there aren't many bars in the metroparks).

As for maintence of the park. Every time it rained over the weekend this summer our games were cancelled. The perception of the city's maintenance crew for fields, was that they were led by God. If He called for sun for two days prior your game then the field was ready to go. If there was a puddle they couldn't find a broom or a bucket of sand to fix it. This isn't even starting on the number of complaints about the park being cleaned.

[Jeff Endress]

I don't see the need to raze one of the only two decent fields in Lakewood because Drug Mart wants to expand

Shawn....Not because Drug Mart wants to expand.......but because Lakewood could leverage a much underutilized piece of property into a commercial/residential/park development that would be of far greater benefit than the current usage of the park. If a new development included a Drug Mart, that would be swell.....but, it would also be after a thoughtful process came up with a design that was

BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN, PLEASANT to spend time there. That means a consistent design standard, upgraded streetscapes, and well-thought out places

so we hopefully didn't end up with another Marc's Plaza. The opportunity to transform a sorry little worn out street strip mall into a classic part of a street scape that includes the Library, Masonic Temple and Old Christian Science CHurch with new commercial/residential development should be thoroughly explored. And unlike other development which the city gets, the control of this site would give the city control to determine if an Aldi's or a Taco Bell is something we want.

Besides...everyone is playing soccer these days anyway.....

Jeff

[Shawn Juris]

I can see the side presented that it would add to the greater good to transform a portion of the strip mall to a park. I presume there is some benefits to the city having control of the decision. We'll only glance at the leverage they used to maintain walkability in front of the new Y. What I was trying to get to, beyond the question of the reason for giving up the field is a question of why it is "underutilized". I get the sense from a couple years of trying to experience Lakewood's recreational programs that there are at least a few examples of beauracracy and questionable usage of resources. I don't know who that falls on. They staff seems professional and has been good to work with. It's when I have to explain their decisions that I doubt how good they system is.

If this truly is a "thoughtful" decision, I would love to see how we arrive at it. A good amount of time was spent squabbling over park conditions this past summer but instead of picking up the trash and finding ways to use our existing space, we're onto leveling a building to plant a new park? Sure, occassionally you have to break some eggs to make an omlet. And sure, this is just some folks talking but I hope that someone scrutinizes this before we blaze ahead and then wonder "what ever happened to that park with the softball diamond that was right in the middle of Lakewood? You know the one that kids or adults from all over Lakewood could get to easily." While it baffles me that we halt development because of a shack that someone's great, great babysitter once owned, it would be a big straw on this camel's back if the city decides to give up one of the only remaining diamond's in town. If we're trying to attract young professionals why would you take away one of the resources that they are likely to use. The real problem is that Lakewood's programs are losing out to the likes of Cleveland Plays and other programs further west.

[Bill Call]

......If this truly is a "thoughtful" decision, I would love to see how we arrive at it. A good amount of time was spent squabbling over park conditions this past summer but instead of picking up the trash and finding ways to use our existing space, we're onto leveling a building to plant a new park? ..........

All valid points. Don't get to excited about discussions like this because no one pays any attention to this stuff, its just good mental exercise.