4th Warder

Cedar Center - More than just a few new stores

2009-07-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight at Council meeting we will, I hope, pass a measure giving Mayor Welo the go-ahead to sign the development agreement with Coral Co., finally setting in motion the redevelopment phase of the project. That will start the clock on getting preliminary site plans for where buildings and sewers and power and water and such will go. Then come the design plans, and the planning commission review period and architectural review board and public hearings (which require advance notification times) and in the meantime the site gets decontaminated and readied for building.

It's really exciting, not just because we'll have neat new restaurants and retail, greenspace and such, but because of what this development will do to make the whole southeast corner of our city a magnet for new residents looking to be part of a revitalized neighborhood and city, and a reason for longtime residents to stay.

We usually think of economic development as only having to do with commercial projects or office space, and the actual CC property will lead with those elements.

But the financial investment and incentives being directed toward green building and sustainable housing and energy projects like the ones we're gearing up to bring to the neighborhoods north and east of CC provide a fantastic opportunity to make updating our housing stock and our neighborhoods a new economic driver.

People want roomier, more convenient homes than what we have in "bungalowville." We can make those houses not only more user-friendly but also greener, more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, all of which make them more marketable.

So when I say I want to improve our neighborhoods, this is one of the ways I mean to do it – green updates and community gardens and elbow room to spread out a little. I think we could make this area the place to go to see all the new green technologies and materials and designs. And as the work gets done, contractors learn and train workers in green jobs, putting up solar cells and installing geothermal heating/cooling systems and rooftop windcatchers.

The timing couldn't be more perfect, now that CC is gaining speed just as the demand for sustainable housing is starting to take off.

I know, it seems like we've been at this Cedar Center project a while. We have been. Previous Councils and administrations have been, too. There was a lot of groundwork to be done to get us just to this point. It also seems like you can't take one step forward without first passing some seemingly-disconnected legislation that the state or county or federal government requires us to have in place that gives us the legal right to take that step. In other words, a lot of the legislation couldn't be passed until we first passed other legislation – designations, declarations, it's mind-boggling.

And, of course, if you want to use OPM (other people's money) for basic infrastructure improvements, and we do, there are more forms and layers of legislation that have to be on our books before we can go to this funder or that agency for money to pay for things like removing asbestos or cleaning up contaminated soil where a dry cleaner's use to be. Buying the properties, negotiating with dozens of owners, took years. Waiting for tenants to find new space took more. Careful demolition, environmental cleanup and site prep, going on now, takes more. But you can see, it's happening.

The new Cedar Center might not be as grand as our grandest wishes for it were a few years ago, when the market and the economy were robust. And it won't all happen at once, as it might have done back then. Under the current economic circumstances, it will come in phases, first restaurants and retail, and residences will come last. It will give us time to work on the neighborhood revival. Time is on our side.

Catching Up

2009-07-24T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here I am, apologizing again for letting so much time go by between blog posts. It's been a busy year. Some of you know that in my "day job" I'm communications director for the Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization. We're the folks who coordinate the restoration plan and all the folks working on cleaning up the river. If you've been reading the Plain Dealer this year, you'll know that this is the 40th Anniversary of the fire that, most would agree, kick-started the clean-water movement in this country. And we had big news.

My two jobs, the river and the City Council position, work very well together. With my river hat on, I spend a lot of my time talking and working with local officials, planning people and engineers from many many communities throughout our Area of Concern (which includes the dozens of cities, villages and townships in four counties of the Cuyahoga's watershed, plus Euclid Creek's ten communities) and our neighboring watersheds. Chagrin and the Rocky River, for example. That gives me insight into how other communities handle issues we might share, lets me "borrow" good ideas and share our own.

When we changed the South Euclid codes to allow rainbarrels and raingardens and pervious paving, and when we were the first to pass anti-idling legislation, other communities' councils wanted to follow our lead and asked for help. When we totally reshaped the Langerdale retention basin behind the Friendship Circle on Green, and created the first urban wetland of its kind in Ohio, folks from all around the state came to see what we'd done. We really have become "the greenest city," as Mary Jane Skala, Sun News editor calls us.

We're not done. As we work toward adding a greenspace plan to our master plan, and toward redesigning parts of our "bungalow village" areas with green retrofits and floorplan expansions, and greenspace and community gardens, I'm already collaborating with others in the region who are ahead of us on these conversions.

I'm convinced that my active, day-to-day involvement with many layers of local, county, state and federal government, and collaborations with hundreds of organizations at work to revive the metro Cleveland area, is a valuable asset that I bring to City Council.

So it's time to run again. I need to be re-elected in November in order to finish many of the projects I've inherited (like Cedar Center) or started (like the green neighborhoods and new block watches.) I hope to see you on the sidewalks!

Rain Barrels and other stuff

2007-08-20T06:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I've been missing in action on the blog for a while. Things get pretty busy, and if it's a question of how to spend my time, I'd rather spend it answering constituent phone calls (which can take a while.)

If you saw the Sun Messenger article or the Channel 3 News story about the pending legislation to allow residents to attach rainbarrels to their home downspouts, I'd like to add some info that might not have been included in the stories:

1. SMALL GARAGE? IT'S ALREADY ALLOWED. The South Euclid housing code as it stands today doesn't require that downspouts be connected to the storm sewer on detached garages smaller than 500 square feet, as long as the water coming off the roof doesn't create a nuisance for a neighbor. SO, until we change the code to allow downspouts on houses to feed into a rain barrel, you can still install one (or more) on the garage if it's within the size limitation.

2. OVERFLOW TO STORM SEWER? ALREADY ALLOWED? All rainbarrels can (and probably should), in any case, include an overflow outlet near the top of the barrel that sends extra water into the storm drain once the barrel is full. It seems to me that if you install a rainbarrel with the downspout coming into the top of the barrel and the overflow going out through a continuation of the downspout into the drain, you ought to be legal already, since the code just says "connected to a public storm sewer."

3. SO WHY CHANGE THE CODE? My purpose for introducing the revision to the code is to make the language clearer about allowing people to install rainbarrels to downspouts on homes and larger garages, and also giving them the option to forego the overflow into the storm drain if they would rather direct the overflow to a garden, rain garden or pond, as long as it doesn't pose a flooding problem for the neighbors.

4. WHAT'S THE GOAL HERE? The big thing that rainbarrels, or other means of diverting storm water from storm sewers, do is reduce streambank erosion and stream sedimentation. When large amounts of rain rush into storm drains, the volume and speed of the water can overwhelm the sewer system and, more damaging, when the extra flow runs through streams can erode the banks and put sediment into the water and the lake. That's bad for aquatic life. In some cases, where sewers still have combinded sewer overflows (CSO) the storm water can mix with the sanitary sewer flow (from toilets) and put bacterial and other nasty stuff into the stream and lake...that's why we have so many "no swimming" days at nearby Lake Erie beaches.

The other benefits of catching and storing rainwater include:
- Feeding garden and house plants with rainwater is better than giving them stuff with chlorine and flouride and other chemicals they use to treat tap water;
- You can save a bit of money...tap water isn't free, although people keep saying it is (don't they get a water bill? I do.)
- Rainwater is softer than tap water and great to wash your hair with.

5. WHAT ABOUT MOSQUITOS? They bite. But they can only breed and go through their life cycle in open, standing (and usually shallow, but not always) water...so as long as the barrel is covered, they can't lay eggs. You can also use safe pesticides (or goldfish) to control the larvae. If the overflow goes to a pond, you're already, I assume, doing something to keep the pests under control.

FYI, here's how the South Euclid housing code reads now:

1405.20 MAINTENANCE OF ROOFS, GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS.

All roofs of every structure shall be maintained weathertight and shall be equipped with gutters and downspouts connected to a public storm sewer. However, this requirement shall be waived for existing appurtenant structures if, in the opinion of the Building Commissioner, the drainage does not cause excessive erosion or water damage or does not create a nuisance on public or private property.

1405.25 SECONDARY OR APPURTENANT STRUCTURES.

(a) All secondary or appurtenant structures such as sheds, barns, garages, etc. shall either be maintained in good repair and free from health, accident and fire hazards or shall be removed from the premises.

(b) All roofs of every secondary or appurtenant structure shall be equipped with gutters and downspouts connected to a public storm sewer. However, if the roof area served by a specific downspout does not exceed 500 square feet, measured horizontally, and the drainage does not, in the opinion of the Building Commissioner cause excessive erosion or water damage or does not create a nuisance on public or private property, this requirement shall be waived.

Point-of-Sale Inspections etc.

2007-02-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
I’m writing to ask for your input on a few issues before council. I’m also asking that you make your opinion known, preferably by coming to council committee meetings on the issue, or general council meetings, where the public can make comments. A schedule of upcoming meetings is at the end of this post.

The first issue is Point of Sale Inspections. There’s been a lot of incorrect information out there about our proposed legislation, and most of the reactions (including those expressed in the recent Sun Messenger editorial) are based on bad information or misunderstandings.

We are proposing that before the sale of a home can be completed the owner would pay (about $175, which would fund the additional personpower and paperwork) for an exterior-only inspection of the house. These inspections would be the same type of exterior inspections we already require, no more and no less. Any objections about inspectors entering homes are baseless, nor is there anything in the legislation about repairs inside the home. We will continue to do regular door-to-door inspections, starting the cycle again in 2008 and continuing whether point-of-sale is in place or not, and our inspectors will continue to respond to neighbors' complaints and cite high grass and weeds.

Our primary reasons for requiring an inspection at point of sale are:
• For homeowners without the funds to make repairs while they live in the house, the time when money is being transferred may be the only time when such funds are available. This addresses the objection that low-income owners or elderly residents can’t afford repairs. At sale time, the buyer can assume the responsibility for the repairs, or the seller can use the equity that comes out of the sale to make repairs.
• Too often people sell their home a year or more after the scheduled regular inspection, and in the interim there are new violations that haven’t been addressed. The buyer or seller may hire a private inspector and find out about possible violations, but there is no official city inspection that comes with a requirement to repair them. Other times the buyer pays for a house not knowing that there are violations, then at the next regular inspection he or she learns that repairs are necessary, and the funds may no longer be available.
• The current trend toward low- or no-money-down sales allows buyers to purchase homes without the funds to fix the house if violations are found later. These homes often get resold quickly, again without repairs being made. What’s left is a rundown property that pulls down the values of the properties around it.

If violations are found at point of sale, there are various ways that the repairs can be made and paid for:
• the seller can pay to make the repairs and include the repair cost in the price of the house, or
• the buyer or seller, or both, can put funds for repairs in escrow as part of the transfer, and as repairs are made the funds are paid from escrow, or
• the buyer can assume responsibility and deduct the cost of repairs from the purchase price.

CABOR (Cleveland Area Board of Realtors) has said they have no objection to this exterior-only program, since it’s something we already have in place.

There is no comparison to be made with programs in Cleveland Heights or Shaker, since theirs are both exterior and interior inspections.

The majority of council, and the mayor, see point-of-sale as an effective tool to raise the level of home maintenance and the quality of life in our neighborhoods. The message it will send is: “You can’t let your property fall into disrepair and lower the property value of your neighbors’ homes.”

The next issue is also about keeping up the quality of our housing stock. We are working on legislation that says you can’t use sheets or newspaper as window coverings. It may seem a small thing, but it’s important that we set and keep standards. It’s a shame that we have residents who care so little about the community, and that we have to address the problem with legislation, but that’s the way things are.

The third piece of legislation is about public health. I’ve proposed anti-idling legislation that would make it a violation for diesel trucks and buses to idle their engines for long periods of time. The fine particles in diesel exhaust contribute to asthma and other respiratory problems.

The law would not apply to gasoline vehicles, or emergency or service vehicles that need to run their engines to power service equipment like refrigeration units. It would not apply when the outside temperature is below 32 or above 80 degrees, and there are other exceptions to provide for the health and safety of drivers and passengers.

My hope is that we can eventually follow the lead of the city of Cleveland, which has a policy that none of its city vehicles, gas or diesel, police cars included, may let their engines idle. They’re saving a fortune in gas money and keeping the air clean.

SO...here is the schedule of upcoming meetings. I hope you’ll either attend or write to me with your input.

2/26/07 – 6:30pm WINDOW COVERINGS
7:30pm ANTI-IDLING
8:00pm FULL COUNCIL MEETING

3/12/07 - POINT OF SALE INSPECTIONS

WARD 4 MEETING - MARCH 28, at 7:00pm at the Community Center.

FYI, Council meets the second Monday each month, no meetings in August.

Thanks for your time!

Winter, finally

2007-01-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

Hi, all. Happy New Year.

With the first snows of 2007, I want to remind everyone of South Euclid's snowplowing system. Crews started last night, even before the first flakes fell, salting intersections so that the stuff wouldn't stick where we're most likely to slide. Then, as the snow builds, they do the main drags, roadways where there are higher speed limits and more traffic lights, since those are the most dangerous areas. They leave a base layer of an inch or two of snow, which, they say, gives more traction than clearing down to the pavement and then having the surface freeze. Then they tackle the side streets, where people are supposed to drive SLOWLY anyway.

So if your street hasn't been plowed as quickly as you'd like it, all I can say is drive carefully, and know that the trucks are out there and they'll get to your street as soon as they can. Remember, our motto is "safety first, convenience next."

If you have a complaint, I encourage you to call the service department at 216-381-0402. If you get the machine, leave a message with your phone number.

Speaking of safety, 'tis the season to be alert and aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. If you haven't had your furnace checked in a while, do so. It'll keep you safe and save you money on gas if your furnace is burning clean and efficiently.

Make sure your fire alarm is working, too. Space heaters can be a major cause of house fires. Make sure you keep yours away from curtains and be sure it's not going to tip over.
Don't overload your electrical system, either, 'cause that can start its own problems.
If you use your fireplace, make sure the chimney's been cleaned so that old creosote stuck to the walls doesn't ignite.
And, finally, make sure you have enough of the right kinds of fire extinguishers in the right places. The code on the extinguisher tells you which kind of fire it puts out: "A" with a green triangle is for paper, fabric, garbage, wood, etc.; "B" with a red square is for flammable liquids like gas, kerosene, liquid fuels; "C" with a blue circle is for electrical fires. So you want an "A" that's accessible by the fireplace, a "B" near the kerosene heater and the kitchen, and a "C" in the office or wherever you've got all those wires tangled together. Some extinguishers are multi-purpose. Just be sure the ones you have are big enough. Fire grows fast, and the little weenie ones can leave you standing in front of a growing disaster with an empty extinguisher.

Also, remember that it's the homeowner's responsibility to clear the sidewalk in front of the house. So be safe, and stay warm, and if you can, help a neighbor shovel his or her driveway and front walk.

Missing posts

2006-10-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

If it seems as if I've been missing in action, I'm sorry. Some of my posts seem to have been lost in the ether as soon as they're posted. Try, try again.

I've been getting lots of questions about Cedar Center, especially since the newspaper stories about the developer from California pulling out of the deal. I want you to know that your city government is still committed to making the new Cedar Center a reality. It's going to happen. There are other developers who are interested in doing the project, and doing it well. That location is hot. That's why Whole Foods chose it, and the retailers at University Square, too. It's the last buildable corner in the middle of what the demographics folks see as the center of a dense population with money to spend. This is a bump in the road, but we're still moving forward.

Tonight at council meeting we said goodbye (actually "see you later") to police chief Matt Capadona. Matt's retiring and taking on the job as head of security at Notre Dame, so he's not even leaving town. I wish him well. Now we'll have to find someone else who knows how to work that temperamental grille at the community center.

I hope you'll come to the Ward 4 meeting at 8pm on October 25 at the community center. We'll be announcing the winners of the Gorgeous Gardens Awards. At 7pm, please come to an energy forum, to learn about alternative energy, energy conservation, and ways to cut your winter heating bills.

Be well,
Jane

My vote on Stoneridge

2006-06-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

City Council voted on two new developments on Monday night.

Cutter's Creek will have different styles of attached townhomes, including ranches, in the woods at Anderson and Green. I voted for that one without unmanageable regret. I wish the homes didn't have to be so close to the creek. I hope the trees grow back quickly. The diocese owned the property, insisted on selling, and at least it went to a developer who pays attention.

Stoneridge is the one that's been getting all the attention lately. It's to be sixteen detached cluster homes tucked in behind houses on Monticello, Trebisky, Ammon and Azalea, where it's now wooded, shrubbed and wetland. The neighbors were either angry about losing their wooded backdrop or eager to sell their backland to the developer.

I voted no on that one. Not because of the angry neighbors but because of the design...it's going to be a clump of little houses amid a sea of grass, which is the worst possible way to use the land. I wouldn't have objected if the design was about leaving the woods and offering wooded lots around the new houses. But grass is as bad as paving, possibly worse since all the fertilizer, pesticides and weed killers they'll use to keep the grass green will rush across the surface and into a big pipe at the bottom of a funnel and run headlong into the creek. That's poisoning the waterway. Period.

I also believe, based on lots of data, that taking out the forest will not just lower the property values of the homes on large lots that surround this project, it will have many adverse impacts on the air quality and flooding issues of the whole neighborhood.

The language in our building code for Planned Unit Residential Developments says this:
"The Planning Commission shall review all proposed planned unit residential developments, giving particular consideration to the design and layout of the development to ensure that:
(1)Buildings and uses within the proposed development are located so as to reduce any adverse impacts on and to protect the residential character of areas adjacent to the development.

They'll be leaving a whopping 30 or 40 feet of trees around the edge of the development. That's the depth of my house, hardly enough buffer to block the view. Big deal.

As I said at the meeting, something's going to be built there. Whoever owns the property has the right to build. But those particular woods are not just big weeds, they're community assets. In that particular place, where this is the last remnant of woods, and wildlife habitat, taking them out so completely will have serious adverse impacts on the whole surrounding area – unlike Cutter's Creek, which will still be surrounded with woods.

A lot of the council vote had to do with the fear of getting sued if we put too many restrictions on the plan. Mayfield Heights got sued and lost big time when the guy who built the Costco wanted them to change the zoning from residential to commercial and the city didn't have a good plan to back up their refusal. That case didn't involve a PURD, it was land adjacent to other commercial buildings, and it's not the same situation we were facing. But fear of litigation held sway.

My vote may have been merely symbolic, but symbols can be important. I just thought you'd want to know why I voted the way I did.

Good Neighbors...and block watchers wanted

2006-06-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

I keep saying "If you want a good neighborhood, you have to be a good neighbor." People tend to nod, and agree, and then way too often they follow up with ten reasons why they can't, won't or just don't reach out to the folks who live nearby.

I admit I find myself avoiding the folks in one of the houses across the street. Their kid gets picked up in the morning by a woman in an SUV who honks the horn. Loudly and repeatedly. The grownups there have completely killed what was, just a couple of years ago (before they bought the house) a gorgeous garden and luscious lawn with a beautiful japanese maple. The tree is dead, the lawn is completely weeds in mud, the picket fence is trashed and the garden is scary.

Since it's been hard for me to catch these folks at home, I haven't done my neighborly duty. Yet.

And now that I'm ready to admit that I have limitations (stop laughing...I heard that) I'm begging you - YES, YOU! - to step forward and say you'll br captain of your block watch. All you have to do is contact me. We'll set up a time for a block meeting, I'll reserve a meeting room and make flyers, we'll distribute them to your neighbors, and get a Block Watch working.

Please?

Summer's here

2006-06-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Hi. I'm in the process of dropping off the latest edition of the 4th Warder newsletter. With more than 2000 households in the ward, it takes some time. If you just can't wait, you can download it as a pdf file from my page on the city's web site...http://www.cityofsoutheuclid.com right away.

And if you'd like to help out by dropping the newsletter to the homes on your street, PLEASE email me (or add a comment to this blog) to volunteer.

So...I'd like to welcome the two new members of the Planning Commission, recently appointed by Mayor Welo. Mary Doria Russell (yes, the author) and Falanda Collins are both residents of Princeton Rd. in Ward 1. Come to think of it, two of our council members (Simon and Gray) also live there. Wonder if there's something in the water there that encourages public service. Hmmm.

I've been getting more than the usual number of "help" calls from people who want me to intervene in neigbor issues. My hope is that folks can talk to each other and resolve things first, before calling me or the police. How are we going to build neighborhoods people love to live in if we can't even talk to each other? I say that to have a good neighborhood, you have to be a good neighbor, and sometimes that means being a good example to the neighbors who don't play ball. And don't give up.

Fun Day will be July 29 this year, at Bexley Park, and it's looking like it'll be a baseball game between city employees and a traveling entertainment team, then music and fireworks. The daytime activities won't be part of the day this year. We're trying something new, with limited funds. We have to pay for our own fireworks this year...no, I don't know why, but that's the way it is.

The recycling committee will be selling a new canvas tote/shopping bag with graphics created by yours truly. The bags will be available starting in July. Look for them at city events and buy one (or more) to support the committee's activities.

If you run a homebased business, or know someone who does, we want to list you in the new online directory. We want to encourage people to keep their dollars within the community, and this will help residents find the product or service they need while helping our neighbors. Email me for a listing form.

Okay, gotta go water the garden, drop some newsletters and pick up stuff to fix the garage (TJ says I have to repaint it and fix the little door...I don't get special treatment, that's for sure!)

Jane

Fire pics

2006-05-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the excitement, on May 22 the South Euclid Fire Department had a training session, using a house on Green Road to practice their skills. The house at 2032 S. Green, was donated by Dr. Shelly Senders, who will be building his new pediatric facility on the site. Crews from Lyndhurst and University Heights also took part in the training. It was pretty darn impressive.

Spring Green

2006-05-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

Hi, all. Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I promise to do better in the future.

It's been that kind of month. I always think of May as the month when everything changes: the colors change from brown to green and all the colors of the rainbow, the air changes from dry to wet and cool to warm, the ground changes from soil to grass and, too quickly, weeds. Kids rush to finish school. Parents rush to arrange their summer schedules. Workers rush to schedule vacations. Things seem to accelerate from hibernation to full speed in an instant.

This year, city council has been in overdrive as well. We've had so many new developments and new initiatives to study and process, it's as if the city's suddenly awakening from a long sleep. We've always known that South Euclid's location makes it a wonderful place to live, now others are realizing the same thing.

We're in the process of updating our comprehensive plan, the document that looks at the layout of our city, describes which areas are zoned for what, identifies where we'll put new businesses and homes, and suggests how we'll revitalize existing neighborhoods. It's the map of our present and the directions we'll use to travel to our future.

The plan shows where we'll focus new mixed housing and commercial developments – Cedar Center, Mayfield-Green, Monticello-Green. It indicates where we'll put new homes and residential development clusters (the easy stuff). It also marks the older neighborhoods where we'll buy the most deteriorated homes and open their lots for neighbors to expand their homes, add an office to the garage, or leave green pockets for breathing space (the harder stuff).

What the plan doesn't include at this time is a vision for our greenspace. That's about to change. As a part of the update, we're including a mission to develop a greenspace/openspace plan. Just as we decide where buildings should go, it's critical that we also define where buildings should NOT go, and how we might do a better job of fitting human space into the natural infrastructure – letting the natural systems that are already in place manage the way water flows, for example. As more and more developments consume more and more green space, we need to take a moment now, before all the open space is built upon, to say how much of our community will remain green. Whether the space remains forest or field, park or shrub-filled wild, we need to recognize the value of these spaces and plan for their management.

Much of what makes South Euclid a pleasant place to live is the green that surrounds us. It's our proximity to Euclid Creek and the abundant flora that surrounds it. It's the canopy of trees that arches over our streets, shades our homes, cools the ground, sucks up the waters, provides homes for birds and habitat for wildlife, and pleases our senses. Before we "pave paradise and put up a parking lot," as Joni Mitchell sang, we as a community need to decide how we'll keep our community as green as it is today, and what kind of spaces we'll leave to future residents.

First, we need to respect the health value of greenspace and trees. Aside from the basic fact that green plants are our only source of oxygen, and the only things that remove carbon dioxide from the air, studies have shown that surgery patients who could see a grove of deciduous trees recuperated faster and required less pain-killing medicine than matched patients who viewed only brick walls. And prisoners with cells overlooking green landscapes used prison health facilities significantly less than prisoners whose cells provided views of other prison facilities.

Most significant are studies from the University of Illinois' Human-Environment Research Laboratory showing that "the presence of vegetation and green-spaces can strengthen social ties in a neighborhood, reduce levels of aggression and violence, and help people cope with everyday stress. In one of the more startling findings, researchers found that crime rates actually go down in neighborhoods with more vegetation--the opposite of what many policymakers had in mind when they ordered bushes cleared and trees cut down to decrease crime.

Some of the lab's most noteworthy research has shown that raising and teaching children in a green environment can put them on the path to success early in their lives. One study showed that interaction with nature significantly curtailed the symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Another showed that girls who can see nature out their home windows are more capable of concentration, impulse inhibition, and self-discipline." (American Forests, Autumn, 2002.)

This is just to say that humans and communities are always healthier – emotionally, spiritually, psychologially, physically and, yes, economically – when we live with nature instead of always trying to eliminate it, or engineer it to work our way. Nature is a vast infrastructure; it's a system, just like the sewers and water lines and mechanical systems we build. A tree in the right place, usually the west side, will shade a house, and the cooling it provides will lower your air conditioning bills. Plantings on the north side of a house will give shelter from winter winds and cut your heating bill. A garden of water-loving plants at the low point of your yard will absorb the pondwater that accumulates in heavy rains and keep it from flooding into your basement.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't cut down any trees. When we decided to live where forests once grew, we assumed the responsibility of caring for the green we keep. Just like humans have a defined life expectancy, just as we age and eventually die, so it is with trees. Many of the trees in our city are at the end of their lifecycles. But unlike humans, who reproduce themselves and nurture new generations, urban forests don't act like "real" forests. We don't always let them seed their progeny and replace themselves. We don't let them fall and decay to enrich the soil and feed their young as would happen in a normal forest.

A forest isn't just trees, it's also the wetlands and waterways and open spaces and the edges where new growth takes place. It's not just the big tree canopy, either. It's also the understory trees, the shrubs that grow berries and native plants that grow seeds that wildlife count on. We have to manage all these resources. Sometimes it's best to let the forest be. Sometimes it's better to take down older trees before they fall, let the young trees below get air and sun, or replace them with new trees that are more amenable to life in the urban environment.

Nature is always trying desperately to return to this original state. The land we live on was originally a vast forest, primarily of oak and hickory, but including one of the most varied collection of maples, hemlock, tulip trees and many many other species. Some areas were wetlands, and sometimes big chunks of the forest would fall and leave open areas for new forests to grow. Consider all the maple seeds that litter the driveways and streets and the keys – whirlybirds – that fill our gutters. That's the maple trees trying to plant new generations. Weeds, too, are nature's way of returning to a state of balance, where roots hold the soil and filter the water and leaves catch the seeds that grow the plants that feed the birds and animals that carry the seeds to plant anew.

This brings me back to the greenspace plan (convenient, huh?). I invite everyone with an interest in how our community grows – pun intended – to write to me and make your voices heard.

Door-to-Door

2006-04-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hi, all. Sorry I've been off the blog for a bit. With taxes, holidays and trying to get a new printed 4th Warder newsletter done, it's been busy around here. We all wait for spring to get here, and the minute it comes we rush to do spring things knowing that summer will be here in a flash.

Speaking of summer, it looks like we might actually have ice cream trucks plying their icy wares this season. Council is finalizing the language to make sure that nobody on the trucks has a criminal background, or a history of predation or domestic abuse, and that they do have licenses and proper safety signals on the vehicles.

This means that if you're having a block party, you'll be able to have an "ice cream social" theme. Speaking of block parties, now is the time to start planning one.

You'll notice that Miramar is being repaved. And the city engineer is seeking bids for the street work west of Warrensville.

ON THE CASE WITH INSPECTOR REALE
Yesterday I walked with Frank Reale, one of the city's housing inspectors, as he made his rounds. I wanted to see what the inspectors look for, and how they decide what needs to be fixed and what doesn't.

Frank lives in Ward 4 but does his inspecting north of Mayfield. He and T.J. Murray, the inspector for our half of town, cover a lot of ground.

They each have about 4,200 houses to inspect over the 5-year cycle of regular exterior inspections. That's not just one visit per house, either. There's the initial inspection, then if a permit is involved in the repairs, they go check that, then they go back again to make sure the work has been completed in the allotted time. In addition to the door-to-door inspections and followups, they respond to complaints and spend time in court when someone doesn't do the work, and as they drive around they're on the lookout for special cases...workers doing stuff without permits where permits are required, for example.

On our tour yesterday, Frank showed me what to look for, and problems were pretty much the same from one house to the next. Here's what he found most often:
• gutters hanging or missing, and downspouts not tied in to gutters or drain pipes;
• dirty siding, peeling paint on houses, trim and step railings;
• crumbling front steps and landings;
• cracked and buckled sidewalks, driveways and private service walks (the walkway from the driveway to the front stoop);
• foundation bricks missing mortar.

There were also cases where fences needed mending, and firewood needed to be raised off the ground, and one case where the foundation under a room addition was so bad that you couldn't figure out what was holding the addition up!

I got to see Frank work with a homeowner, giving him advice on the least expensive ways to fix, in this case, his driveway. This guy really knows his business, he appreciates people's financial burdens, and he believes it's better to focus on the most important issues of structure, safety and appearance than to nitpick every little cosmetic problem.

THE IMPORTANT THING is to call the inspector right away, when you get a notice that there are violations on your property. They will come and show you exactly what needs to be done, tell you whether it can be fixed (cheaper) or has to be replaced ($$) and if you need more time, they can negotiate.

DON'T WAIT TO GO TO COURT to argue about it. By that time, you'll have to pay court costs of at least $100, and you'll still have to fix the problem even if Judge Kleri gives a time extension.

Well, I'm off to recycle my old computer stuff (at the Service Department Garage until April 21st.)

Have a sunny day,
Jane

Post-Meeting Notes

2006-03-23T05:51:00.000-08:00

Thank you, everyone who attended our first Ward 4 meeting on Monday night. I am grateful for the continuing support of my "regulars" and was happy to see some new faces.

For those of you who missed it, here are a few bits of info from the meeting:

• The drilling noises that kept folks on East Antisdale and other areas near Oakwood Club should be gone by now. The Club was drilling four natural gas wells on their property, the southernmost part of which is in South Euclid. By the time people started calling me to complain about the ruckus, the work was finished. No, the city doesn't receive any license fees or income from the wells, the club is private property and a recent court ruling says cities don't have any say over where wells are drilled, nor are they considered a "public utility."

• Fire Chief Tom Cannell put out a call for volunteers to join the Citizen Corps, which trains and organizes volunteers to respond in case of disasters. One part involves Block Watches, another creates a Community Emergency Response Team, and the third part is a Medical Reserve Corps. Please call Cheryl McNulty at 216-291-0771 to join the team.

He also talked about bringing the fire trucks and crews out to block parties and other events to do public education, and about our partnership with surrounding communities that will give us faster responses to emergencies by allowing the closest fire station to respond, even if that station is in another city (for example, the University Heights station is closer to Cedar Center than our own South Euclid station.)

• Police Chief Matt Capadona talked about the newest member of the force, our new police dog, Recon, who joins our veteran canine Rex. The two will be sniffing (and snuffing) out crime. We'll also be seeing our bicycle patrols come spring, and more intense enforcement of nuisance violations.

He talked about how difficult it is to keep groups of kids under control, not knowing where they live, and how by the time the police can arrive the groups disperse. He says that if we know where the kids live, they can work with the parents, but that information has to come from us. He's also meeting with the school officials about after-school problems, and the city is considering reviving daytime curfews. More on that later. Also, there will be a police substation at the new Cedar Center when it's completed, so there will always be officers on site.

• Speaking of Cedar Center, Economic Development Director Cal Caminati said that the negotiations with the building owners over price is nearing completion. Once the paperwork is done and the sale documents are legal, we'll be breaking ground.

Mayor Welo has told me that her assistant, Lee Williams, has bought the big scissors to cut the ribbon, the developer will bring the big gold shovels for the groundbreaking ceremony, everyone's dusting off the hard hats, and they're getting ready to put up the ubiquitous big "Coming Soon!" sign.

Cal also mentioned the new Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins coming to the corner of Mayfield and Belvoir, the new Brews Brothers coffee shop at Mayfield/Green, and the fact that he's working with the owners of Young Israel to plan new residential development on their Cedar Road site. And as for the empty storefronts at the northwest corner of Mayfield and Green, it's actually a good thing...it means that the redevelopment of that corner into a shiny new lifestyle center (like the new Cedar Center is going to be) will be easier to do.

I, for one, would like to see someone use those empty windows to display the work of local businesses, artists, craftsmen, or student projects. Anyone interested in spearheading such an effort should call me.

• The Recycling Committee has announced that we are now accepting number 1 through 7 plastics, instead of just #1 and #2. Please Please Please recycle your paper...we make money on paper, and that income offsets the cost of recycling the plastic and glass.

Last but absolutely most importantly, we need to get the street clubs and Block Watches organized. I'd hoped to do it at the meeting, but not enough people showed up. So now I'll be contacting folks on individual streets. Please call me if you'll help.

Enough for now...enjoy the day.

Jane

Sunshine Today

2006-03-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hi again.

I wanted to update you on miscellaneous bits and pieces...

WARD 4 MEETING - MARCH 20, 6 TO 9pm - ROWLAND SCHOOL GYM. Please come, and maybe give a ride to a neighbor!

The drilling at Oakwood Country Club should be finished by the time you read this. They've been sinking natural gas wells. They tell me there won't be noise when they operate. So they thank you for your incredible patience during the recent day and night pounding.

Four streets in Ward 4 will be getting the regular 3-year exterior home inspections - East Antisdale, Warrendale, Wyncote and Grosvenor. If you haven't received the letter from the housing department, or gotten the copy of that letter with the 4th Warder newsletter in your door, call me...216-291-0442.

The folks on East Antisdale are in a good news/bad news situation this year, but your patience and good humor will be rewarded. Now that the drilling noise is over, pretty soon we'll start tearing up the street to replace the sewers and the roadway. The home inspection will probably happen at about the same time, and then Warrensville repaving will happen. When it's all over, though, you'll have spiffy new streets and curbs, more effective sewers to keep water out of the basement, houses that look good and meet code, and a nice new Warrensville Center Road to get you home.

In fact, all those streets in the West 5 neighborhood are slated for repaving and repair in the next few years thanks to grants and loans from the state and the sewer company. We're really focusing on getting that neighborhood spiffed up. It's also one area where the city's strategic plan can focus on making the bungalow neighborhoods more marketable by looking for deteriorated homes to purchase, raze, and offer the lots to neighbors to expand their homes or lots, or build home office space onto garages, or develop pocket parks.

What you can do to bring house-proud new homeowners into the neighborhood: If there's a house for sale (and we know there are many), POST A NOTICE about it at your workplace, church or temple, tell friends who might be looking for a new place, or who might know someone in search of a reasonably-priced house in a great location in a city that's doing lots to renew itself...near the new Cedar Center, too!

The best way to fill our neighborhoods with good neighbors is to invite folks we want to move in. It's better to be proactive than to wait and find out the new owner next door is the neighbor from hell.

CEDAR CENTER
We're negotiating prices with the property owners. In the meantime, the developer is talking to new tenants, and some existing tenants. They'll probably start work on the back lot first, so the businesses up front can stay open as long as possible. Things don't always move as quickly as we'd like, but rest assured they are, indeed, moving forward.

Quick news notes

2006-02-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

Hi, all.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR - OUR FIRST WARD 4 MEETING WILL BE MARCH 20, 6PM til 9-ish, ROWLAND SCHOOL GYM, the corner of Wrenford and Bayard. We'll be organizing street clubs, block watches, and getting people involved in handy helper corps and other neighborhood improvement programs. We'll have information, we'll get your ideas, and it's going to be the start of a new spirit for our corner of the city. Please come.

I'm in the process of dropping off the latest issue of the 4th Warder newsletter, so if you find it in your door or rolled in your banister, please don't think it's an ad for landscaping and throw it away.

Residents of Warrendale, Wyncote, E. Antisdale and Grosvenor also get a heads-up preview of the housing inspection letter, the official version of which will come from the building department next month. I just wanted to give folks advance warning in case we have more gorgeous days like today, and you want to get a head start on fixing up the homestead. When I printed the letter, I put the streets listed above in bold, to signify that those are the only streets in our ward being inspected this season. Someone who received the newsletter/inspection handout today has already called the building department complaining that printing those streets in bold was some kind of discrimination. I just did that so that the people on those streets would take note that their street is up for inspection. If I knew who it was that called, I'd tell her...hey, I live on Wyncote, one of the bolded streets, so cut me a break here.

Council had its strategic planning retreat last night...we talked about what our major themes would be for the coming year. We're talking about the big picture stuff, not the meat-and-potatoes work of fix-this-fix-that service for our residents, which is of course our ongoing mission. This focused on what we want South Euclid to be, and how we want to get there.

Everyone agreed that one of the major tasks will be to get people committed to building stronger neighborhood ties with street clubs and block watches, etc. That community infrastructure will allow us to communicate better with residents, allow residents to communicate better with each other and treat each other as partners in more open, close and respectful ways.

We want to find ways to improve the housing stock, with curb appeal being an important key to raising property values and attracting a new breed of creative, active professionals, young families and homebuyers who will invest in the community and stay for a while.

We want South Euclid to be the place people want to live and work in, not because they can't afford to live elsewhere but because it's a terrific place to settle down. We want to make our city a model of the new American suburb, with wonderful places to play and shop, and not just because our great location makes it easy to get other places, but because it's easy to get what we want right here.

The rebirth of Cedar Center and plans for Mayfield-Green and Monticello-Green are taking us closer to that goal. So stay tuned for exciting things to come.

January 2, 2005 - Leaves - Taxes - Point-of-Sale - Stuff

2006-01-02T14:48:00.000-08:00

Well, even though I still have one day to go before officially taking office, the phone and emailbox have been jumping with communications from constituents. Thanks to all those who've sent congratulations, and to those who've called with concerns, too. For those of you who want to be heard on any of the subjects mentioned in this blog, please use the "comments" link at the end of this post to send me your thoughts, opinions, or further questions.

I also encourage you, since you're obviously an internet user or you wouldn't be reading this, to go to the city's web page at http://www.cityofsoutheuclid.com where there's a wealth of information, like trash pickup and such. Also, check out the other posts on this blog, where there will be more info on various subjects.

Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions so far.

EMINENT DOMAIN AND CEDAR CENTER
Is the city taking homes on Colony or Mayflower condo properties by eminent domain for the Cedar Center project?
NO, a thousand times "no." The development will cover only the space now taken by the existing Cedar Center and its back parking lot. Future plans might include the bank/Starbucks building on the corner, and nothing's been decided about the car wash.

LEAF PICKUP
Will the service department continue to pick up leaves?
YES. Ed Gallagher assures me that they'll have the trucks out sucking up leaves whenever they can. Mother nature did us a disservice this fall, letting all the leaves fall late, all at once, and then dumping two feet of snow on them. The vacuums don't work as fast when the leaves are wet, so it might have to wait until they dry out, but they will be picked up when conditions permit.

POINT-OF-SALE INSPECTIONS
At this time, it looks like we'll probably be starting with an exterior-only program, whereby anyone selling a home would apply for a certificate of inspection from the building department. Any violations would be noted, and either the seller would fix them before the sale goes through, or money from the sale (from the buyer or seller) would be put in escrow to cover the repairs. As the repairs are made, the escrow funds would be released.

THIS IS THE SAME EXTERIOR INSPECTION THAT HAPPENS EVERY FEW YEARS ALREADY...IT'S JUST THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL INSPECTION BEFORE THE HOUSE GETS SOLD.

Why do we need this?
1. To protect the buyer from getting slammed with code violations and surprise costs after the sale is closed. Too many times a home is sold and the buyer isn't aware that there are violations, and at the next regular inspection he has to come up with the money to fix them. This way, the money can be rolled into the sale of the house, so it's there to make the repairs. Independent inspections, which hardly anyone actually gets, are not the same as code inspections, and too often even if repairs need to be made there is no legal way to insure that repairs are done.
2. To protect the seller from getting sued for not disclosing violations to the buyer. This way, everything's out in the open.
3. To protect the neighbors from people who buy a fixer-upper without the money or the intention of actually fixing it up. The house keeps getting worse, then when the regularly scheduled inspection comes around, and the new owner can't make the repairs, things just get worse and worse. This way, the money is set aside for repairs when the sale closes, and the building department can make sure the repairs are made in a timely fashion without having to take the owner to court, which causes delays and could divert money from paying for repairs to paying fines.

The fact is that the way things are now, homes are deteriorating and the cycle of inspection-citation-court-avoidance just isn't working well enough. We need to keep our property values up and attract buyers who really want to fix and keep our housing stock solid and safe. This will make that happen.

The next step, interior safety inspections, will take some time to work out. We don't want to rush into it, and we're well aware that we must tread carefully and respect people's privacy and their rights.

SIDEWALK PLOWING
The law says that each property owner is obliged to keep the sidewalk in front of his or her property clear of snow. If you have a plow service do your driveway, you need to make sure the sidewalk is shoveled. If you have a snowblower, wouldn't it be neighborly to clear not just your own sidewalk but also those nearby? The older neighbors who can't wield a shovel would surely appreciate it, and the walkers will sing your praises.

I will nag the service department about keeping at least the main street sidewalks clear, but the little plow can only do so much. We have to pitch in on our own little corner of the city.

HYDRANT REPAIR AND TREE LAWN DESTRUCTION
To those of you who had hydrants replaced and were left with tree lawns that look like bomb craters, I promise to get someone to take responsibility and get the treelawn fixed. The city says it's the water department's job, and the water department says it's the city's. This has to stop. I'm on the case.

COMING SOON to a neighborhood near you...
We'll be having a Ward 4 conference this spring. We'll be getting the block clubs and block watches working. It's going to be great. I'll let you know when and where.

You'll be getting a newsletter from me soon, with lots of info.

Last but not least, please frequent our local businesses. Have you tried the sumptuous New Orleans-style food at Battiste&Dupree on Warrensville at Grosvenor? They're open for dinner, and they deserve your support.

Happy New Year!
Jane

December 2005 - Thank You - Roads - Cedar Center

2005-11-12T10:55:00.000-08:00

Well, the election is over, so now I can officially publish this newsletter as your Councilwoman-Elect. I won't take office until January 3, but since the residents of South Euclid's Ward 4 have been starved for representation, I'm already getting calls and letters and questions.

By publishing online, I'll be able to give you news more frequently and update current happenings so we can all be on the same page, with the latest information.

This is an interactive space. I hope you'll use the "comments" feature to ask questions, and I'll answer them here, so that everyone can get information on their concerns at the same time.

THANK YOU
First, let me say thanks to everyone who helped me get elected by telling your friends about me, putting up yard signs, distributing literature, hosting coffee klatches, standing at the polls, signing my petitions, and everything else that went into this effort, especially voting for me. The margin of victory was only 48 votes. For those who didn't believe me when I said every vote would count, I say...see?

Thanks, also, to John Stone and the boys for all the hard work, and to Rabbi Susan, who will be administering my oath of office. To Molly and Jean and Val and especially to Bev and Gentry farmer for walking and standing and helping. To Mayor Welo and Councilman Icove and State Rep Yuko for their endorsements. And to all who contributed cold, hard cash to allow me to publish the print version of this newsletter, mail my postcards, put up yard signs and distribute the seeds to "grow a new South Euclid."

UPDATES ON CONSTRUCTION
E. ANTISDALE/WARRENDALE SEWER PROJECT
The work that has closed off the western end of East Antisdale is NEORSD starting on the sewers. The city has received grant funds and now is getting bids on the tearup and reconstruction of E. Antisdale from the western end to Fenwick, which should get going in spring 2006. That's part of Phase I of the project that will cover the streets west of Fenwick down to Warrendale.

The western section of Warrendale, from Halsey to Fenwick, will also see reconstruction starting in the spring. If the city is successful in getting a new additional grant for the eastern section from Fenwick to Warrensville Center Road, they will do the whole street at once. It would save money to do it all at once, but even if they don't get the second grant, the work on the western part will go forward.

CEDAR/WARRENSVILLE ROADWORK
The first step, widening Cedar Road from Fenwick to Miramar, will come first, possibly as soon as the spring. With all the heavy equipment that will come with the teardown of Cedar Center in preparation for its redevelopment, it makes sense to wait til the buildings come down before repaving Cedar. The city folk still hope to start that teardown in spring.

Warrensville Center Road work from Cedar northward will wait until after the widening of Cedar road is done. That will give folks in the West 5 neighborhoods a little breathing space and room to maneuver around the E. Antisdale and Warrendale street projects.

CEDAR CENTER
The eminent domain letters went to the building owners, and the next step will be to buy the properties and sell them to the developer.

There are a few things you need to know about this eminent domain thing:
1. Most of the property owners have been willing to sell at the market value they were offered, but wanted to wait to get the official letter from the city saying "look, we're buying your property whether you want to sell or not." If they sold before they got the eminent domain letter, they'd have to reinvest the funds within a few months or pay capital gains tax. By waiting for the letter, they can avoid paying those taxes virtually forever. That's why they waited.

2. THE CITY IS NOT TAKING OR BUYING HOMES for this project. Period. Apparently some folks got the wrong impression from a Plain Dealer story, but it's just not happening. It seems that there are real estate speculators going up and down Colony Rd. looking to buy homes. Either they believe that the city will buy them for expanding Cedar Center or that the values will shoot up once the new center is built. Either way, the city won't be taking homes there for the project.

3. The state moratorium on eminent domain does not apply to Cedar Center, since the plan was submitted and the project started before the moratorium was proposed.

4. What about Marc's? The city wants to see as many of the well-loved businesses return once redevelopment is complete. Marc's may be one to return, albeit in a nicer, cleaner store that fits the new development. It's more difficult to ask a restauranteur to move out for as much as a year and then rebuild. They need to keep operating in the interim, but it's so expensive to move, set up in a temporary location and then move back, that it's hard to predict whether or not they'll be able to manage it.

The bottom line is that we'll have to see what arrangements can be made. Some of the businesses may be willing and able to move to other locations in town, some won't. In the end, the new Cedar Center will be a beautiful new entrance into our city, and one that will bring a spark of energy to this tired old spot.