I attended the Cedar-Lee Streetscape "Public Open House" this evening.
It was very demoralizing. Essentially, the Cedar-Lee Special Improvement District (business organization) is calling all the shots.
It's just an elective project that will or won't take place based on how much public funding can be found. Whatever the SID prioritized is what will be in "Phase I". And Phase II. And phase III. And...
Even the "Comments" card gets returned to the SID. A couple council members were there, and the Planning Director. But it was clear that The SID, and maybe just the head of that group, had the consultants' ears.
They're going to do something with no foresight, and they'll do it on the cheap. No coordination with any other civic groups or private citizens, and just the bare minimum with entities like the sewer district and the utilities.
It will be lipstick on a pig, intended solely to draw more people into the grocery store and restaurants. No consideration for anyone else.
Well, that's my opinion. What's your's?
The "project" is nothing but some steps to make the district more walkable and parkable for the SID's customers. *Everything* else is being blown off until some imaginary "Phase II". ---------- Latest News Releases Nov. 15 Cedar Lee SID Streetscape meeting re: Lee Road between Corydon and Superior - Cedar Lee SID, November 12, 2012 Close Public Meeting Announcement: The Cedar Lee Special Improvement District, in conjunction with the City of Cleveland Heights, is nearing the end of a preliminary engineering study for the proposed streetscape of Lee Road, between Corydon and Superior roads. The purpose of this project is to identify the most effective, environmentally responsible alternative that enhances access and mobility, improves safety, and encourages sustainable future economic growth. The public meeting will be held on: Thursday, Nov. 15, 7 - 8:30 p.m. Lee Road Library, Meeting Room A 2345 Lee Road
But I don't see it. As far as I can tell, this is a SID project. Perios. I couldn't identify much actual input to decision making from anybody but John Zagara. Not from the city, certainly. I got a clue about that when Mr. Zagara introduced CH Planning Director Richard Wong as the CH City Manager. Because it's a SID project, there is none of the required transparency that one would expect (hope for?) from the city. In fact, because the library room assignment sign said the meeting ran from 5:30 to 8:30, I attempted to enter the room early, at 6:45. Mr Zagara dismissed me, and invited me to come back at 7:00. Except *all* the same players were conducting the annual SID business meeting. Which is supposed to be open to the public, and notice given that it is taking place. Transparency failures. continued...
No, the SID put up $50,000 I guess, as part of the fees for the consultants. And it seems to me they feel that investment makes the street, the project, and the funding "theirs" to manage. No. Mr. Zagara is *not* an elected official. 100 or so merchants do not have greater claim to what happens in CH than the other 45,000 residents, and all the other stakeholders in our community. It's hard enough to encourage our *real* elected representatives to do the right thing. It's next to impossible when those elected officials let a narrow-interest special interest group run things. And that project will *never* advance beyond Phase I. Don't be fooled.
Who decided that this should be $2 million project? Where can I go on the internet to answer these and other project-related questions, and see project-related documents? Who were the roll-up-your-sleeves workers reaching out to the nearby landlords with the flooded basements, or to the utilities to discuss burying wires, or a hundred other interested stakeholders? I'm guessing any real "work" was done by the consultants. And they have a meter running, so they do what's necessary, but not a whole lot more. This caliber of "work" isn't good enough any more. It's actually a distraction for better things being accomplished. It would be nice if city hall were to take a leading role in shaping the future of our city.