The Observation Deck

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20101114/FREE/311149985

As has been talked about for over 15 years by many of this, and all can read in the
earliest posts on this Deck. And was one of the major focuses of the Visionary Alignment
for Lakewood. While some preached "Big Box Stores and Strip Malls" and other studies
said "Office Buildings" the VAL said, HOMES - respect the residents and the housing stock.
Stop trying to be like every other mall town.

Artists, Business people, others fleeing NY looking for A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!

The above Crain's Cleveland Business Article underlines something many of us have been
saying for a longtime. GET OUR HOUSING IN ORDER, not big box stores.

I know how Lakewood lost their way, but we need to find it now. We must stop chasing
shiny objects for faux awards, and getting our number one industry to health NOW!

People are looking for good places to LIVE.

We need to cash in - NOW!

.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Artists, Business people, others fleeing NY looking for A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!

You are right about housing being the key to a healthy city but you still need a vibrant commercial district. You need to have jobs here in the City to help pay the cost of City operations.

It seems likely that we are going to lose our development director to the County. This might be the time to consider some changes in the operation of the Development and Building Departments. And, maybe its time to reconsider the City subsidy of Lakewood Alive.

Lakewood's building department should be more than an obstacle to development.

Why not make the building department part of the Department of Development?

Why not a Building Department that has a mission statement that includes the concept that the department is a business and the contractor/homeowner/developer is the customer?

Why not a building department as profit center?

Why not a building department as a development tool?

Responsible local lending

a strong building department

dedicated landlords

passionate homeowners

and especially neighbors helping neighbors.

and above all else... Clean, Safe, Fun

Bill Call wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Artists, Business people, others fleeing NY looking for A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!

You are right about housing being the key to a healthy city but you still need a vibrant commercial district. You need to have jobs here in the City to help pay the cost of City operations.

Bill

I think Lakewood can make a damn good argument for downplaying the you have to have
jobs here, for this city to survive. What we need is to take full advantage of the things you
have always said were bad. FREEWAYS. The westside has zero rush hour to speak of. I
used to commute to Chagrin Falls everyday, and found the drive against traffic to be
fun and relaxing. What more it took barely 30 minutes. As I have said before I have spent
20 minutes on an on ramp during rush hour in Chicago.

What we need, is as Bret so rightfully said, and was a mantra out of the Observer is
"Clean, Safe, Fun."

From everything I have read, commercial areas are the 2nd most expensive areas for a
city to service, so the more commercial, the greater need for police, and other forms of
city support. The 3rd cheapest was residential. The most inexpensive areas for a city to
have are community gardens, for the record.

So what happens, and we have seen it time and again here. Commercial property grows,
residential property values decline, so commercial grows, and it becomes a vicious circle
until it becomes the most expensive form of space for a city to maintain, vacated
commercial or industrial property. While it seems like it makes sense, in the end it is
hugging the cancer that kills the city off. We have been sold a false bill of goods with ZERO
facts to back any of it up. Like casinos, and cutting taxes to the top 1% will create jobs or
add money to the economy.

FWIW

The Glue: http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2010/1021_metro_economy_katz.aspx

Jim O'Bryan wrote:http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20101114/FREE/311149985

As has been talked about for over 15 years by many of this, and all can read in the
earliest posts on this Deck. And was one of the major focuses of the Visionary Alignment
for Lakewood. While some preached "Big Box Stores and Strip Malls" and other studies
said "Office Buildings" the VAL said, HOMES - respect the residents and the housing stock.
Stop trying to be like every other mall town.

Artists, Business people, others fleeing NY looking for A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE!

The above Crain's Cleveland Business Article underlines something many of us have been
saying for a longtime. GET OUR HOUSING IN ORDER, not big box stores.

I know how Lakewood lost their way, but we need to find it now. We must stop chasing
shiny objects for faux awards, and getting our number one industry to health NOW!

People are looking for good places to LIVE.

We need to cash in - NOW!

.

Why can't we have both? Good housing and a variety of small and larger stores?

Lakewood could add 5 more stores today and I don't believe it would change the feel or detract from the allure of the city. Heck, it may actually create more interest for some to move into the area who now have to go out of the city to obtain certain things.

I'm not saying cluster the place corner to corner... just let's have an open mind and not be ANTI about the general concept.

J Hrlec wrote:

Why can't we have both? Good housing and a variety of small and larger stores?

Lakewood could add 5 more stores today and I don't believe it would change the feel or detract from the allure of the city. Heck, it may actually create more interest for some to move into the area who now have to go out of the city to obtain certain things.

I'm not saying cluster the place corner to corner... just let's have an open mind and not be ANTI about the general concept.[/quote]

J Helec

First, I agree,

BUT

I have also seen plans that have made it very far along for gutting the block behind the
Beck Center for a strip mall and Applebees.

I have seen plans to gut all property between Lakeland and Manor Park south of the track
for another strip mall.

I have seen plans that develops everything west of Clifton, for a glorified Westgate Mall.

I have heard of plans to greatly expand "Downtown"

These are not "little stores" or even an occasional BIG store. These are complete redevelopments of neighborhoods, that would greatly change the complexion of these
neighborhoods. I would say none have been very well thought out, nor live up to the
hype and lies that were spread during the presentations.

I would say people are bothered living next to Dunking Doughnuts(fact) and the house
will soon be for sale, for a hell of a lot less than it was worth 5 years ago. And when that
house goes, for parking, drive through etc, what happens to the next and the next.

You know during the entire West End Debacle(Jay Foran term) all the residents outside of
the Scenic Park District asked for was "Responsible Development." They had become
increasingly frustrated with the half truths and outright lies being spread about the many
great benefits of the West End, and who was coming. To be honest, after going through
all of the paperwork, I have yet to find one REAL HONEST UNBIASED study. So if you are
planning on changing whole neighborhoods, could we also have a little truth and openness?
Is that really so bad to ask for?

What is the plan for "Downtown" are we allowed to even know? What are the plans for the
city, are residents and stake holders allowed to know? Does it not bother you that in the
past 25 years, there has been NO PLAN for Lakewood.

Community are living breathing organisms that are very easy to kill off.

Bring in things we do not have, that add to the community not slowly kills it off like cancer.
Bring in a micro-center, not another burger place. Bring in a college, not another place that
serves ground beef in a new way like on taco shells...

FWIW
.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

J Hrlec wrote:

Why can't we have both? Good housing and a variety of small and larger stores?

Lakewood could add 5 more stores today and I don't believe it would change the feel or detract from the allure of the city. Heck, it may actually create more interest for some to move into the area who now have to go out of the city to obtain certain things.

I'm not saying cluster the place corner to corner... just let's have an open mind and not be ANTI about the general concept.

J Helec

First, I agree,

BUT

I have also seen plans that have made it very far along for gutting the block behind the
Beck Center for a strip mall and Applebees.

I have seen plans to gut all property between Lakeland and Manor Park south of the track
for another strip mall.

I have seen plans that develops everything west of Clifton, for a glorified Westgate Mall.

I have heard of plans to greatly expand "Downtown"

These are not "little stores" or even an occasional BIG store. These are complete redevelopments of neighborhoods, that would greatly change the complexion of these
neighborhoods. I would say none have been very well thought out, nor live up to the
hype and lies that were spread during the presentations.

I would say people are bothered living next to Dunking Doughnuts(fact) and the house
will soon be for sale, for a hell of a lot less than it was worth 5 years ago. And when that
house goes, for parking, drive through etc, what happens to the next and the next.

You know during the entire West End Debacle(Jay Foran term) all the residents outside of
the Scenic Park District asked for was "Responsible Development." They had become
increasingly frustrated with the half truths and outright lies being spread about the many
great benefits of the West End, and who was coming. To be honest, after going through
all of the paperwork, I have yet to find one REAL HONEST UNBIASED study. So if you are
planning on changing whole neighborhoods, could we also have a little truth and openness?
Is that really so bad to ask for?

What is the plan for "Downtown" are we allowed to even know? What are the plans for the
city, are residents and stake holders allowed to know? Does it not bother you that in the
past 25 years, there has been NO PLAN for Lakewood.

Communities are living breathing organisms that are very easy to kill off.

Bring in things we do not have, that add to the community not slowly kills it off like cancer.
Bring in a micro-center, not another burger place. Bring in a college, not another place that
serves ground beef in a new way like on taco shells...

FWIW
.[/quote]

Bill Call wrote:You are right about housing being the key to a healthy city but you still need a vibrant commercial district. You need to have jobs here in the City to help pay the cost of City operations.

Wow I can't believe I'm going to say I completely agree with Bill on this.

But I'd also add, it's more than funding, it's about quality of life. The best communities have a mix of great housing, great schools, great government, and a vibrant and diverse commercial and retail sector.

Housing alone is not going to solve Lakewood's problems nor will it alone create the best community we can be.

What we really need, to take full advantage of our lakefront, is a nuclear power station.

Tons of property taxes; tons of income taxes; and almost no cost burden on the city.

Ideally, all nuclear facilities should be located in densely populated, economically challenged cities.

Will Brown wrote:What we really need, to take full advantage of our lakefront, is a nuclear power station.

Tons of property taxes; tons of income taxes; and almost no cost burden on the city.

We could be the Perry of the west.

Bryan Schwegler wrote:

Will Brown wrote:What we really need, to take full advantage of our lakefront, is a nuclear power station.

Tons of property taxes; tons of income taxes; and almost no cost burden on the city.

We could be the Perry of the west.

They have kick ass swag! Ready Kilowatt surrounded by electrons!

Talk about cool.

Seriously, a very big key for Lakewood stability is developing the Lakefront. It always has
worked and will continue to work.


.

I just wanted to add to this thread something that was said to me last week.

We had a guest for Thanksgiving who is Finnish. He hasnt been in the states in almost 40 years and had just come from visiting a friend in Houston on this trip.

We were headed to the east side to visit family and I drove him along several areas of Lakewood. We headed to the Shoreway using Clifton and Lake. He was just blown away by this city. He said to me "This is what I always imagined the United States to look like. Or should look like."