Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog

Historic preservation and the Cleveland Clinic

2010-03-14T04:58:04Z

In January, the Cleveland Clinic demolished the former Hathaway Brown School building on Chester Avenue without a public hearing. Because the Clinic's campus lies in a gap between design review districts, less public oversight is required. Historic preservationists would like to expand the districts to include the Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Play House properties, among other sites. Bill Barrow believes that the local approach to preservation "is too unplanned, piecemeal and last-minute to be effective."

Ozone comments

2010-03-14T04:54:58Z

The NOACA Governing Board approved a resolution that urges the U.S. EPA to set achievable ozone standards. In January, the federal agency announced its intention to tighten the ozone limit. It is expected to finalize its decision in August.

Census forms coming soon

2010-03-14T04:50:14Z

As the U.S. Census Bureau prepares to start mailing 2010 Census forms, the Plain Dealer highlighted the importance of obtaining an accurate count in Northeast Ohio. A recent Sound of Ideas program was also devoted to a discussion of the subject.

Casino forum video

2010-03-14T04:49:09Z

The Cleveland Coalition posted video of the speakers at the March 5 casino forum at the City Club. The presentations by Len Komoroski, Christopher Diehl, David Schwarz, and Tom Chema are now available.

Sewer District controversy continues

2010-03-14T04:48:50Z

Because Summit County leaders have filed legal challenges to the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's new stormwater management program, the Sewer District may withdraw its sponsorship of conservation projects in northern Summit County.

Middleburg Heights turbine plans

2010-03-14T04:36:33Z

The Middleburg Heights Planning Commission approved plans to install a 285-foot tall wind turbine at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. The Planning Commission had tabled the proposal in January.

Urban agriculture in Cleveland

2010-03-14T04:06:36Z

In a companion piece to its story on vacant land in Cleveland, Next American City looked at the City's "chicken and bees" law. The City is considering expanding the rules to include more varieties of livestock. In Communities & Banking, the magazine of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Matt Martin and Zachariah Starnik of the Stockyard Redevelopment Organization described residents' efforts to reclaim their neighborhood through urban gardening (PDF).

Metroparks add land

2010-03-14T03:35:44Z

The Cleveland Metroparks purchased a 62-acre property along the east branch of the Rocky River in North Royalton. The site, which contains quality wetlands and a primary headwater stream, will be added to the Mill Stream Run Reservation.

Plans for Eaton campus

2010-03-14T03:16:33Z

The Jacobs Group filed initial site plans for Eaton's planned campus in the Beachwood portion of the Chagrin Highlands. In addition to the 10-story headquarters building, the plans call for a five-story parking garage and a 59,000-square-foot fitness center.

Towpath Trail extension updates

2010-03-12T04:59:21Z

At an open house on Tuesday, planners presented two alternate routes for stage three of the Towpath Trail extension in Cleveland. Construction of the leg between Steelyard Commons and Literary Road in Tremont could begin in 2012. Meanwhile, the cover story of this week's Scene is about allegations of impropriety in the process of awarding Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program grants. In a controversial decision last year, the Natural Resources Assistance Council recommended funding the acquisition of two properties in the Flats for the Towpath Trail.

Giant Eagle nixes convention center

2010-03-12T04:58:09Z

Giant Eagle exercised a right in its lease and vetoed the plans to reopen the former Wal-Mart store at City View Center as the Cuyahoga Convention Center.

New ESOP blog

2010-03-12T04:57:40Z

Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People has begun writing about predatory lending and the foreclosure crisis at its new weblog.

Gasification concerns

2010-03-12T04:51:03Z

Some environmentalists worry that the proposed waste-to-energy plant in Cleveland will not be as environmentally friendly as its proponents claim.

Ted Strickland tells ODOT to look at bike lane

2010-03-11T22:17:54Z

Governor Strickland told the Ohio Department of Transportation to re-evaluate the feasibility of including a multipurpose lane on the planned new Innerbelt Bridge. A Plain Dealer editorial notes that "for Strickland's call to make a real difference, ODOT planners need to bring open minds to a review they have staunchly resisted."

Place and health outcomes

2010-03-11T21:54:10Z

A group of Northeast Ohio public health and medical professionals recently met in Akron to discuss the findings (PDF) of the County Health Rankings report. Their next step will be to develop strategies for improving community health outcomes.

County will stay in admin building for now

2010-03-11T21:35:44Z

Now that they have reached purchase agreements for most of the properties for the planned Medical Mart, the Cuyahoga County Commissioners are expected to reject proposals for relocating the county offices. The new county government will decide whether or not to leave the County Administration Building on Lakeside Avenue.

Port authority leadership editorial

2010-03-11T21:14:31Z

A Plain Dealer editorial challenges the leaders of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority to be less secretive.

Looking at the EfficientGovNow abstracts

2010-03-09T04:51:25Z

WCPN's Eric Wellman spoke with organizers and applicants in round two of the EfficientGovNow regionalism program, and Bob Paynter classified the 50 applications. The finalists will be announced on April 30 and public voting will occur in May.

Cleveland casino discussion

2010-03-09T04:31:32Z

At Friday's public forum on the planned Cleveland casino, panelists discussed the goals of the development and the challenges posed by each of the four potential sites. Rock Ventures still plans to break ground as soon as this fall, but now anticipates opening the casino in early 2013.

Update: Scene's Anastasia Pantsios also attended the event.

Broadview Heights master plan update

2010-03-09T04:19:45Z

G2M Design Collaborative is continuing to develop a new master plan for the City of Broadview Heights.

Blue Line extension alternatives

2010-03-09T03:53:18Z

At a recent public meeting, consultants for RTA described the five alternatives being studied in the Blue Line Corridor Extension Study.

Update: a Chagrin Solon Sun editorial says that the line should be extended to the Chagrin Highlands.

More airport opinions

2010-03-09T03:31:39Z

Brent Larkin believes that Cleveland needs to close Burke Lakefront Airport and turn it into "a world-class development that could transform downtown." An editorial in the Sun Messenger encourages Cleveland and Cuyahoga County officials to coordinate their positions on the region's airports.

Tough words for the port authority

2010-03-09T03:16:56Z

In a Plain Dealer op-ed, Dominic LoGalbo criticizes the disarray at the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, and encourages local leaders to reconsider the agency's roles.

Central Community Co-op

2010-03-09T02:56:21Z

A new food co-op opened on Carnegie Avenue. The Central Community Co-op will supply fresh produce to residents of Cleveland's Central neighborhood.

2010 Cleveland State of the City address

2010-03-07T04:58:38Z

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson delivered his fifth State of the City address on Thursday. He announced that a Chinese LED manufacturer will locate its American headquarters in Cleveland, talked about the City's sustainability initiatives, and proposed the creation of a countywide education authority. A Plain Dealer editorial called it "the kind of big thinking this region needs." The speech is available as text (PDF) and as audio.

HUD listening tour visits Cleveland

2010-03-07T04:57:08Z

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Sustainable Housing and Communities Listening Tour will stop in Cleveland (PDF) on March 10. The event will begin at 10:30 in the US Bank Centre Building at Playhouse Square.

Ohio to appeal federal court ruling

2010-03-07T04:51:36Z

The Ohio EPA will appeal the recent court decision which found that the state's pollution rules for small businesses violated the federal Clean Air Act.

GLRI funding bills introduced

2010-03-07T04:15:09Z

Legislators from Great Lakes states introduced identical bipartisan bills in the U.S. House and Senate to support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The legislation would restore 2011 funding to the 2010 level of $475 million, instead of the Obama administration's proposed $300 million. Great Lakes advocates are pleased.

Kamm's Corners streetscape, phase 3

2010-03-07T04:00:14Z

The City of Cleveland is proceeding with the third and final phase of the Kamm's Corners streetscape project. Bidding opened to contractors on Thursday.

Senator Brown writes Ted Strickland

2010-03-07T03:28:49Z

Sherrod Brown urged Governor Strickland to include a multipurpose lane on the planned new Innerbelt Bridge. Dennis Kucinich also continues to campaign for its inclusion.

Greater Cleveland Partnership 2010 priorities

2010-03-07T02:47:53Z

The Greater Cleveland Partnership outlined its agenda for the year at its annual meeting on Thursday. The chamber's priorities include county government reform, renewal of the county health and human services levy and the state Third Frontier program, and investing in downtown Cleveland projects. Roldo Bartimole was indignant at the suggestions.

Restoring Prosperity recommendations considered

2010-03-07T01:49:08Z

In his two newest columns, Steve Hoffman of the Akron Beacon Journal looked at policy recommendations from the Restoring Prosperity report released by Greater Ohio and the Brookings Institution. He first discussed school district consolidation and the reactions of political leaders. In the second piece, he looked at the costs of local government fragmentation and the prospects for reorganizing local government. Greater Ohio officials and state legislators also recently discussed the report at the Columbus Metropolitan Club.

Jolene Molitoris speaks in Columbus

2010-03-07T00:33:43Z

Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jolene Molitoris expressed her support for the planned 3C Corridor passenger rail line. Her agency is still preparing a response to Ohio Senate President Bill Harris' questions about the project.

Update: video of the talk is now available.

Aerotropolis study

2010-03-06T23:51:18Z

An article in this week's issue of West Life offers more information about the Aerotropolis study being conducted by Cleveland State University. The study should be completed by the end of the month.

Innerbelt Bridge design-build teams

2010-03-03T23:28:12Z

Four teams of designers and contractors hope to build the new Innerbelt Bridge in Cleveland, and submitted their qualifications to the Ohio Department of Transportation. ODOT will select three of the teams to prepare technical and price proposals and will announce the finalists on March 23. Greenlight Zine highlighted some of GreenCityBlueLake's questions about the project.

Reusing Cleveland's vacant land

2010-03-03T22:50:14Z

The spring 2010 issue of Next American City includes an article by Marc Lefkowitz about vacant land reuse policies and practices in Cleveland. He explored the reasons behind the problems and the variety of innovative initiatives currently underway. Terry Schwarz also spoke about urban regeneration at the recent TEDxCLE event.

Collinwood rec center contract awarded

2010-03-03T22:16:43Z

The City of Cleveland hired Panzica Construction to build the new Collinwood Community Recreation Center. The conversion of the former Big Lots store near Euclid Beach State Park is scheduled to begin this spring.

Lakefront property lines case reaches Supreme Court

2010-03-03T21:58:05Z

The Ohio Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal of Merrill v. Ohio, the Lake Erie property lines case. The date for oral arguments has not been set.

Planning law seminar

2010-03-03T21:48:12Z

The next Levin College Forum is about land use law. It's titled Legal Implications of Zoning Decisions for Smart Planning and Development, and will take place on March 26.

Artists in Collinwood

2010-03-03T21:13:34Z

Cindy Barber wants artists to relocate to North Collinwood. She proposes making houses owned by the Cuyahoga County Land Bank available to artists at reduced prices.

Another port authority suggestion

2010-03-03T20:42:25Z

The Plain Dealer again called for reform of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority's board, this time saying that its size should be reduced by one-third.

Gund Foundation supports NPI

2010-03-03T20:22:16Z

The Gund Foundation made a $3.6 million, three-year grant to Neighborhood Progress, Inc. The foundation also awarded grants to the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, the GreenCityBlueLake Institute, and the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy.

Public dialogue on casino design

2010-03-03T20:04:21Z

The Cleveland Coalition organized a panel discussion about integrating the planned Cleveland casino into the existing urban fabric. It will be held at 5:00 on Friday at the City Club, and the speakers will be David M. Schwarz, Len Komoroski, Tom Chema, and Christopher Diehl. Admission is free, but registration is requested.

No stimulus money for port authority

2010-03-02T04:12:01Z

While other Great Lakes ports received millions of dollars in federal stimulus grants, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority did not receive funding. The Port Authority applied for a TIGER grant, but was not one of the selected projects. It was the only application that the Port submitted. The Port Authority also dropped its plans to fill a slip and build a warehouse. Interim President Peter Raskind said, "The bottom line is we do not believe it's a good use of public money."

JEDD negotiations

2010-03-02T03:32:16Z

Leaders of Brecksville and Broadview Heights continue to discuss the potential development of the property at the southwest corner of Route 82 and I-77. The Jacobs Group had an option on the site, but it expired in January.

Restoring Prosperity op-ed

2010-03-02T03:16:37Z

Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institution and Lavea Brachman of Greater Ohio, the organizations which jointly released the new Restoring Prosperity agenda, wrote about positioning Ohio's economy for future growth. They said that "Ohio is in a paradoxical moment: The present is painful, but the future could be promising. And in another paradox, its manufacturing heritage is part of the reason why."

Canalway signage introduction

2010-03-02T02:56:39Z

The new signs for the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway will be officially unveiled on Tuesday morning in a ceremony at West 25th Street and Detroit Avenue in Cleveland. About 320 signs will be installed along the 110-mile corridor.

EfficientGovNow project abstracts

2010-03-01T22:30:42Z

Local governments in the 16-county Northeast Ohio region submitted 50 projects in the second round of the EfficientGovNow grant program. Sixteen of the applications are from Cuyahoga County communities, including a proposal from Moreland Hills, Orange Village, and Pepper Pike that would fund implementation of a forthcoming municipal collaboration study.

Update: organizers encourage public input on the project ideas.

Gardens Under Glass

2010-03-01T21:48:06Z

Vicky Poole and Jack Hamilton have begun operating Gardens Under Glass, a hydroponic garden in the Galleria at Erieview in downtown Cleveland. The project is funded by a $30,000 start-up grant from the Civic Innovation Lab. Meanwhile, panelists on NEOtropolis discussed food policy and access to fresh foods.

Update: Fast Company also reported on the Galleria.

Medical Mart architect hired

2010-02-27T02:15:53Z

Cuyahoga County and MMPI selected LMN Architects of Seattle to develop conceptual designs for the planned Medical Mart and new convention center in Cleveland. The company will create schematic and design development drawings, but will not be the project's architect of record. LMN will also oversee the construction manager to ensure quality and avoid cost overruns. Concurrently, a citizens group raised questions about the project's financing.