Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog

The Cities of Cleveland Heights and East Cleveland will use funds from a mortgage fraud settlement to raze distressed houses and apartments in the North Coventry neighborhood. The properties will remain as greenspace. A Sun News editorial said the effort represents "regional collaboration at its finest".

Steven Litt visited the Butler-Nissen House in Cleveland Heights, the area's second passive house. It was built on the site of the demolished Walker and Weeks-designed James H. Foster house. He called it "a classic example of two positive values in conflict - preservation versus sustainability." Meanwhile, Fresh Water looked at life in a passive house.

Cuyahoga County residential development projects in the media:

• Local developers plan to convert a cluster of buildings at West 25th Street and Church Avenue in Ohio City to the West 25th Street Lofts, 70 market-rate apartments. They hope to begin construction in March.
• The mixed-use Intesa project in University Circle could include 80 micro-apartments, small units between 300 and 600 square feet.
• Cleveland Heights City Council unanimously approved a development agreement for a planned $11.4 million mixed-use project on the vacant city-owned property at Lee Road and Meadowbrook Boulevard. The four-story, 17,000-square-foot building will include ground-level retail below 77 apartments. The Cleveland Heights-University Heights School Board approved an 11-year, 80% tax abatement for the development.
• The Cleveland Metroparks commissioners authorized development in a portion of the easement that the park system holds on the Mandley-Vetrovsky Funeral Home property in Fairview Park. The agreement enables Abode Living to proceed with plans for a townhouse project.
• As an alternative to a proposed 11-house subdivision, 12 acres of wetlands along Bishop Road in Highland Heights may be preserved as open space.
• Abode Living is considering plans for a second phase of its Clifton Pointe townhouses in Lakewood.
• The Zaremba Group dropped its plans for an apartment complex on the former Locust Grove golf course site at Cedar and Lander roads in Mayfield Heights.
• A proposed apartment building in Rocky River is attracting interest from seniors.
• A proposed cluster home development would add single-family houses at Center Ridge and Crocker roads in Westlake.

The National Park Service added four local properties to the National Register of Historic Places: Neal Terrace, Oppmann Terrace, and the former Richman Bros. factory in Cleveland, and the Euclid Heights Historic District in Cleveland Heights. The Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board nominated an additional eight sites for inclusion, including John Carroll University's North Quad Historic District in University Heights and Baldwin Wallace University's North Campus Historic District in Berea. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Landmarks Commission recommended local historic designations for four east side properties.

The former Ivex mill in Chagrin Falls was added to the National Register of Historic Places, listed as the Adams Bag Company Paper Mill and Sack Factory (PDF). It is being redeveloped as the mixed-use Spillway project.

Meanwhile, the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board recommended four Cuyahoga County sites for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places: the former Richman Bros. factory (PDF) on East 55th Street in Cleveland, the Neal Terrace and Oppmann Terrace (PDFs) apartments, both located on Detroit Avenue in Cleveland, and the Euclid Heights Historic District (PDF) in Cleveland Heights. It would be the City's 11th historic district.

Greater Cleveland residential projects in the news:

• Forest City Enterprises is considering a plan to convert the Halle Building in downtown Cleveland to 200 apartments.
• The City of Cleveland Heights selected the Orlean Company to redevelop the vacant lot at Lee Road and Meadowbrook Boulevard. The proposed $11.4 million project calls for a four-story building with apartments over retail. The City is seeking an 11-year, 80% tax abatement agreement from the school district.
• Lakewood City Council heard an update on the Rockport Square development. The future of the project remains unclear. Meanwhile, the Lakewood Architectural Review Board approved small changes to the Clifton Pointe townhouse project.
• The developer of the proposed Quarry Park subdivision withdrew his plans after the North Royalton Board of Zoning Appeals denied a request for a zoning variance. The project had been tabled indefinitely last year.
• The Rocky River Planning Commission approved preliminary plans for a 274-unit apartment building on the site of the former Giant Eagle store at the Rockport Shopping Center. Wald & Fisher plans to redevelop the other half of the shopping center.
• The Solon Planning Commission approved plans for the Lake Neptune Estates subdivision, a 13-house development proposed for the southwest corner of Neptune Drive and Miles Road. City Council is considering the plans.
• In Strongsville, work on the Cedar Creek Estates subdivision continues and City Council approved plans for the seven-house second phase of the Siedel Farms subdivision.
• Westlake voters will decide a rezoning issue on a proposal to build 22 apartments above the former Borders store at The Promenade.

Update 2: Cleveland Heights Patch has more information about the plans for the Meadowbrook-Lee development.

Cleveland Heights City Council passed sustainable zoning legislation, adopting a set of updates to the City's zoning code. The amendments address food production, energy generation and conservation, stormwater management, and transportation, among other subjects. Marc Lefkowitz noted that the changes are intended to reflect the values of the community.

RTA ridership figures continue to rise, increasing by 5.3% between March 2011 and March 2012, and the agency is working to attract discretionary transit users. In Cleveland Heights and University Circle, consultants are developing plans for improving non-automobile transportation options and are conducting a survey. Marc Lefkowitz said that they face challenges and opportunities.

Neighborhood Progress Inc. may begin working with communities like Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights. It would be the organization's first activity in inner-ring suburbs. The City of Shaker Heights is increasing its funding for property acquisition, upkeep, and demolition.

First Interstate Properties confirmed that the Oakwood Commons retail development in South Euclid will include a 177,000-square-foot Wal-Mart superstore. Construction of the store is scheduled to begin in September.

Update: Wal-Mart verified that the supercenter will replace its store at Severance Town Center in Cleveland Heights.

Leaders in Cleveland Heights are reviewing an update of the City's zoning code. The changes (PDF) are intended to encourage sustainable development practices. The Cleveland Heights Planning Commission is scheduled to discuss the changes on March 14 and April 11, and City Council on March 26 and April 16.

Plans for the Oakwood Commons shopping center under construction in South Euclid include a 180,000-square-foot Wal-Mart supercenter. Wal-Mart currently operates a store less than a mile away at Severance Town Center in Cleveland Heights. At GreenCityBlueLake, Marc Lefkowitz explored redevelopment and retrofitting examples that could be employed if Wal-Mart closes its Severance Center location.

The Shaker Farm Historic District in Cleveland Heights and the Jones Home Subdivisions Historic District in Cleveland were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Update: Cleveland Heights Patch has more information about the new Shaker Farm Historic District.

The City of Cleveland Heights is offering vacant city-owned residential properties to owners of adjacent houses for $100 plus closing costs. City Council gave the city manager the authority to administer the program.

Mark Souther considered the perception of decline in Cleveland Heights by comparing current conditions to the situation 50 years ago. He concluded that "history suggests neither rise nor decline is inevitable. The fate of communities is always shaped by citizens and their government."

Developer Mitchell Schneider's First Interstate Properties completed its purchase of the Cleveland Heights portion of the Oakwood Club property. The company has not submitted plans for the 92-acre site, but its preliminary concept "calls for a campus setting with a variety of living options for older adults, along with therapy and wellness facilities, retail, restaurants and civic use."

At GreenCityBlueLake, Marc Lefkowitz wrote about the green zoning initiative in Cleveland Heights and about sustainability efforts at RTA.

The City of Cleveland Heights soon may have a new district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The proposed Shaker Farm Historic District would be the tenth in the City.

Update: Cleveland Heights Patch has more information.

The City of Cleveland Heights will consider changing its zoning code to establish guidelines for the reuse of non-residential buildings in residential districts. Creating adaptive reuse rules was one of the recommendations of the City's sustainability audit. Officials and residents discussed the proposal at a public hearing on Monday.

Update: the Cleveland Heights Planning Commission approved the changes.

Update 2: City Council unanimously passed the ordinance on August 15.

Property owners in Kamm's Corners (PDF) are considering the creation of a special improvement district. Several other Cleveland neighborhoods have SIDs in place. Businesses in the Cedar-Taylor area may form a merchants association.

Cleveland Heights City Council adopted the final version of its new strategic development plan (PDF). In the Cedar Lee district, officials and businesses are working to advance the streetscape plan (PDF, 71.2 MB) prepared in 2008.

GreenCityBlueLake's Marc Lefkowitz considered ideas for altering plans for South Taylor Road in Cleveland Heights to make it a complete street.

Cleveland Heights City Council approved an expanded agreement with the Cuyahoga County Land Bank. It's intended to help the City deal with distressed properties.

More than 100 people attended a Thursday FutureHeights forum prompted by the proposed Oakwood Commons development. At the event, Terry Schwarz, Hunter Morrison, and Ed Jerse spoke about land use, regionalism, urban sprawl, and the importance of master planning.

Update: video of the forum is now available.

The City of Cleveland Heights completed work on four houses it was renovating through the use of Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding. The houses are now on the market, and proceeds from the sales will be used to renovate or demolish other neglected houses. The City of South Euclid is finalizing the sale of the first house renovated through its Green Neighborhoods Initiative.

Update: information about renovated homes in 11 Cuyahoga County cities is available through the Ideal Homes Program.

More than 150 people attended a meeting of the South Euclid Planning Commission on Thursday to discuss the proposed Oakwood Commons retail development. Most of those who spoke opposed the project. Consultants with McKenna Associates recently completed a review of the rezoning proposal. Earlier in the week, developer First Interstate Properties announced that it is exercising its option to purchase the 90-acre Cleveland Heights portion of the property. The company has not finalized its concept for the land in Cleveland Heights. Blogger Bob Rosenbaum considered the rhetoric surrounding the proposed development.

Update: the Sun News summarized the report from McKenna Associates.

Update 2: the Sun Messenger continues to support the proposal.

The City of Beachwood eliminated its economic department, and Economic Development Director Vince Adamus resigned. Municipal leaders are evaluating their options. Late last year, the City decided to close the Beachwood Business Development Center, which reopened as the Cleveland Heights Development Center earlier this month.

Cleveland Heights and University Heights municipal officials, business owners, and nonprofit leaders met on Monday to discuss the future of the Cedar Taylor business district.

The Plain Dealer published more information about the planned demolition of the Walker and Weeks-designed James H. Foster house in Cleveland Heights. Habitat for Humanity is currently salvaging architectural details from the building.

A Sun Press editorial says that "neighboring municipalities are pooling resources to purchase items or utilize services that can benefit all municipalities involved" and that municipal collaboration can save money.

The owners of the Walker and Weeks-designed James H. Foster house in Cleveland Heights intend to demolish the 1911 structure.

Update: Cleveland Area History has more information about the house (part 1, part 2).

Nepali refugees from Bhutan are settling in Cleveland Heights and South Euclid. The Northeast Ohio community may eventually exceed 1,000 people.

South Euclid City Council referred the proposed rezoning for the Oakwood Commons development to the City's Planning Commission. Residents at the City Council meeting expressed their objections to the proposed big box retail. Community Services Director Keith Benjamin believes the area can support additional stores, and Ward 4 Councilwoman Jane Goodman supports the project. Oakwood Club leaders are satisfied with the sale to First Interstate Properties.

Update: Thursday's Sound of Ideas program was devoted to a discussion of the issues. Fresh Water asked if the area can support more retail, while a Sun Messenger editorial backed the proposed development.

At a public meeting on Monday, consultants from Camiros, Ltd. presented their sustainability audit (PDF) of the Cleveland Heights zoning code. It recommends changes intended to "reinforce the community's commitment to sustainability."

Update: the Sun Press also summarized the meeting.

Developer First Interstate Properties of Lyndhurst is purchasing the 154-acre former Oakwood Club site. It paid $1.8 million for 62 acres in South Euclid and has a contract to buy the other 92 acres in Cleveland Heights. The company plans to develop the property as Oakwood Commons, which would consist of 22 acres of apartments around the former clubhouse building, 63 acres of retail with 500,000 square feet of stores, and 69 acres of parkland. The Cleveland Heights portion is zoned for residential use, and would require a rezoning. Neighbors of the property are trying to preserve the entire site as a park, and say that the development would destroy too much greenspace.

Update: many residents are opposed to the development, although not as vehemently as in the 1990s. They shared their concerns at at Cleveland Heights City Council meeting, which drew about 75 people. Blogger Hank Drake considered whether the area has too much retail.

The future of the former Oakwood Club site remains in question. The Trust for Public Land had a 90-day option to purchase the property in Cleveland Heights and South Euclid, but it expired at the end of October. The 150-acre site is again for sale, with an asking price of $5.95 million. Neighbors would like to see it preserved as a public park.

This week's issue of Scene looked at the emerging clothing district at Coventry Village in Cleveland Heights.

The City of Cleveland Heights is using its federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds to to renovate 12 houses and demolish 12 others. The City of Parma is using its award to demolish more than 20 houses.

The City of Cleveland Heights painted its first shared lane markings along a 1.5-mile stretch of Euclid Heights Boulevard. The sharrows are part of a larger initiative by the Cleveland Heights Bicycle Coalition. GreenCityBlueLake offers its observations on what the group is doing right.

The City of Cleveland Heights initiated its effort to craft sustainable development regulations, and consultant Camiros Ltd. introduced many of the concepts (PDF) at a recent public meeting. Interested residents can complete a survey (PDF).

The City of Cleveland Heights published a draft of its new strategic development plan, last updated in 1993. The new plan recommends seven goals intended to "brand the basic identity of our community, enhance our city's tax base, create outstanding public places and spaces, and embody an environmentally sustainable ethic." City officials hope to adopt the plan before the end of the year.

Update: approximately 50 people attended a public meeting on Monday.

Update 2: about 28 residents have submitted written comments on the plan (PDF).

Members of the new Cleveland Heights Bicycle Coalition asked Cleveland Heights City Council to make the City more sustainable and bicycle-friendly, and to paint sharrows on five of the City's busier streets. They also presented a 500-signature petition.

The City of Cleveland Heights hired Camiros, Ltd. of Chicago to conduct a sustainability audit of the City's zoning code. The planning firm will review the code and recommend ways to remove obstacles to sustainable development.

Update: a Sun Press editorial says that other communities should consider similar approaches.

Officials in Cleveland Heights are working on a new strategic plan for the City. It was last updated in 1993 (PDF). A draft should be available later this month. A group of Cleveland Heights residents launched Sustainable Heights, an outgrowth of the Cleveland sustainability summit.

Grant Deming's Forest Hill Allotment Historic District in Cleveland Heights was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 13. It is the seventh and largest historic district in the City.

Update: the Sun Press published additional details.

About 90 people attended the community meeting about the future of the Oakwood Club in Cleveland Heights. Nine attendees formed a steering committee that will look at ways to preserve the property as greenspace.

Update: the Sun News has more details about the meeting.

The 144-acre Oakwood Club property in Cleveland Heights is up for sale, with an asking price of approximately $6 million. The area is zoned for single-family housing, and a Sun News editorial says that the site should remain as greenspace. A community meeting about the property will take place on February 3.

Members of Oakwood Club and Mayfield Sand Ridge Club voted to combine the two country clubs. The 144-acre Oakwood Club property in Cleveland Heights will be put up for sale. The nearby Acacia Country Club property in Lyndhurst may also be available.

The Home Repair Resource Center in Cleveland Heights is rehabilitating a second home, a 1,380 square-foot house on Edison Road.

On Monday, the City of Cleveland Heights held the third of three public meetings on the Cedar Fairmount Traffic Study. City Architecture will submit its final report and recommendations to City Council next month.

The proposed Grant W. Deming Forest Hill Allotment Historic District in Cleveland Heights is pending approval by the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board. The City and Ohio Historic Preservation Office will hold a public meeting about the proposal on October 26 at the Superior Schoolhouse.

The first house renovated by the Home Repair Resource Center in Cleveland Heights will be unveiled and open to the public from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. today. The Westover Road house was purchased by its new owners in April. Home in the Heights will next rehabilitate a house on Edison Road.

The City of Cleveland Heights has completed the conversion of three two-family houses into side-by-side condominiums through its East Derbyshire Road Rehabilitation Project.

Panelists at an Urban Land Institute event last week spoke about collaboration in University Circle. At the Heights Observer, Cleveland Heights City Council candidate Mary Dunbar wrote about the the opportunities for Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights created by the rejuvenation of University Circle.

South Euclid Mayor Georgine Welo, University Heights Councilman Kevin Patrick Murphy, and Cleveland Heights Councilman Mark Tumeo spoke at a panel discussion on regionalism last week.

Architect Mehrdad Yazdani presented his design concept for the new University Circle rapid transit station at a recent public meeting in Cleveland Heights. Construction of the $10 million project is scheduled to begin in fall 2010.

Cleveland Heights City Council candidate Toby Rittner asserts that the City needs a new comprehensive master plan and economic strategy, saying that it "should encompass all residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors and include specifics for physical and economic development, with benchmarks to measure the plan's success on a yearly basis."

The Home in the Heights subsidiary of the Home Repair Resource Center in Cleveland Heights recently sold its first renovated home, a house on Westover Drive that had been vacant for more than two years.

In a Plain Dealer op-ed, Mayor Beryl Rothschild of University Heights says that her city would gain "absolutely nothing" from a merger with Cleveland Heights.

The Inglewood Historic District in Cleveland Heights was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 15.

Cleveland Heights Councilman Mark Tumeo's suggestion to begin talks about a possible merger of Cleveland Heights and University Heights continues to elicit a wide variety of reactions.

Prompted by the recent proposal from Cleveland Heights Councilman Mark Tumeo, this morning's Sound of Ideas program on WCPN was devoted to a discussion of municipal mergers and collaborations. Mayor Rothschild of University Heights remains strongly opposed to the concept.

Cleveland Heights Councilman Mark Tumeo said he has received good feedback about his proposal to begin examining a potential Cleveland Heights-University Heights merger. He also advocated for the concept in a Plain Dealer op-ed.

The Home Repair Resource Center in Cleveland Heights has begun rehabilitation of the first house obtained for the organization's Home in the Heights program. The house on Westover Drive in the Forest Hill neighborhood will be sold when work is completed.

At a recent University Heights Charter Review Commission meeting, a Cleveland Heights councilman introduced a proposal to begin discussing a possible merger of the two cities. The Charter Review Commission did not comment on the topic, but Mayor Rothschild of University Heights is not interested. Mayor Kelley of Cleveland Heights has raised the subject of combining fire departments.

Some Cleveland Heights residents are concerned about the City's lack of public review for proposed residential demolitions.

The Cleveland Heights Home Repair Resource Center will soon begin rehabilitating the first of 12 homes it plans to complete this year. The houses were acquired by the City from HUD, and will be sold when the renovations are finished. The City of Cleveland Heights also recently revised its downpayment assistance program.

The City of Cleveland Heights is still looking to redevelop the Top of the Hill site at Cedar Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard, but officials are proceeding cautiously because of the poor economic climate.

Mayor Brewer of East Cleveland proposed building a 12,000-seat amphitheater in his city's portion of historic Forest Hill Park. The idea would require approval from the Forest Hill Park Advisory Commission, and at least one of its three members is opposed to the concept. Others question the need for additional concert venues.

The Heights Observer shares additional information about the East Derbyshire Road Rehabilitation Project, an effort by the City of Cleveland Heights to stabilize a neighborhood by converting duplexes to condominiums.

Crain's Cleveland Business looked at the storefront renovation programs in Cleveland Heights, Gates Mills, and Parma.

This week's episode of WVIZ's Applause visits three houses: the straw bale house on Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights, architect Robert Maschke's modernist home near the West Shoreway, and Tremont's Clarence Court townhouses designed by Dan Bickerstaff.

The Plain Dealer explored the history of the 85-year old Alcazar apartment/hotel in Cleveland Heights.

At a public workshop last month, consultants presented three concepts for improving the Cedar-Fairmount business district in Cleveland Heights. Participants favored an option that calls for widening the sidewalks along Cedar Road and narrowing the street.

Mark Souther writes about the start of an endeavor to add Grant Deming's Forest Hill Allotment in Cleveland Heights to the National Register of Historic Places.

The City of Cleveland Heights has started offering 100% tax abatements over seven years for new residential construction.

Planning continues for a trail network that would link Lake Erie and the City of Cleveland to the Heights area.

Commissioner Jones scheduled two public forums to discuss the Medical Mart and convention center plans. The first will be held on September 2 at the Cleveland Heights Community Center, and the second will be on September 4 at the Middleburg Heights Community Center.

There are currently three community gardens in Cleveland Heights, and increased community interest could lead to more.

Update: a Cleveland Heights resident wants to convert some unused city-owned properties into community gardens.

The first condominium created from a two-family house on East Derbyshire Road in Cleveland Heights was just placed on the market. Two others will be completed late this month.

The City of Cleveland Heights will work with the nonprofit Home Repair Resource Center to rehabilitate vacant houses acquired through HUD's Dollar Homes initiative. City officials estimate that 40% of the 27 houses acquired or being acquired are beyond repair and will be demolished, but the remaining 60% will be refurbished.

The Sun Press examined the causes of population declines in Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, and University Heights and how leaders have reacted to the changes.

The Heights Observer provides more details about the recent public meeting on potential changes to the Cedar-Fairmount area.

Cleveland Heights residents would like the Cedar-Fairmount district to be more pedestrian-friendly. Planners are evaluating several options, including narrowing Cedar Road from six to four lanes. A second public workshop will be held in September.

The new issue of the Heights Observer includes a look at the Severance Center area, an essay on the prospects of a Cleveland Heights-University Heights merger, and more details about the transportation and streetscape planning process in the Cedar-Fairmount district. The City of Cleveland Heights is currently conducting a stakeholder survey.

The sluggish residential real estate market is making it difficult for developers to sell new condominiums in inner-ring suburbs. Several cities are offering incentives to spur investment, and developers are trying to entice buyers. Rysar is offering a free Smart car to purchasers at the Bluestone development in Cleveland Heights. Other developers have pulled out of projects. Al Neyer canceled the Terraces on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. Experts predict that the market will rebound.

On Thursday, OneCommunity announced the official launch of a wireless Internet cloud covering most of University Circle and parts of Cleveland Heights and East Cleveland. They also rolled out Linked Communities, a new web portal for the University Circle area.

The Inglewood Historic District in Cleveland Heights may be added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The City of Cleveland Heights intends to start searching for a developer for the Top of the Hill site within 40 to 60 days. The City's Planning Commission approved development guidelines (PDF) for the area in January.

Pre-construction sales of condominiums at The Terraces on Lee Road have not been proceeding as well as anticipated. Builder Al. Neyer, Inc. is considering several options, including scaling back the mixed-use project. Executives with the company will discuss the development with Cleveland Heights officials.

The Cleveland Heights Planning Commission delayed voting on proposed design guidelines for the planned Top of the Hill mixed-use development because some members want to see more detailed guidelines.

The new Cedar-Lee parking garage in Cleveland Heights opened earlier this month. Its construction is in conjunction with the mixed-use The Terraces development.

The City of Cleveland Heights will purchase a two-family house on East Derbyshire Road, renovate it, and sell it as condominiums. The work is part of the East Derbyshire Road Rehabilitation Project.

The City of Cleveland Heights supplied $18,750 to match a recent $75,000 TLCI grant for a study that will look at ways to improve traffic and pedestrian access in the Cedar-Fairmount neighborhood. The study will also examine the impact of the proposed redevelopment of the Top of the Hill site.

The Cleveland Heights Landmarks Commission designated the 1896 Elizabeth Keyes Churchill House on Chestnut Hills Boulevard as a Cleveland Heights Landmark.

On Monday, several Cleveland Heights councilmembers spoke out against the proposed I-90 interchange at Nagel Road in Avon.

Cleveland Heights City Council passed a resolution implementing the East Derbyshire Road Neighborhood Improvement Project, which will use $700,000 of federal funds to offer grants and abatements to potential homeowners. The neighborhood mostly consists of duplexes, and the City hopes to increase the level of owner occupancy. Euclid, meanwhile, has begun demolishing abandoned houses.

The Cleveland Heights Historical Society and the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission will host a discussion about the Shaker Lakes (PDF) on August 28 at 7:00 p.m. in the Superior Schoolhouse.

In the second installment of their "A Region Uniting?" series, the Plain Dealer looked at the potential for merging suburban communities in Greater Cleveland. They used Cleveland Heights and University Heights as an example, and compared the demographics of their proposed mergers with existing cities.

The City of Cleveland Heights posted the market analysis and feasibility study (PDF) that was prepared to assess land use alternatives for the Top of the Hill property at Cedar Hill. The study will be presented at two public meetings next month.

(via FutureHeights)

Project for Public Spaces Vice President Cynthia Nikitin will speak about placemaking and revitalizing neighborhood commercial corridors on May 23 at 7:00 p.m. at Forest Hill Church in Cleveland Heights. The session is free and open to the public.

Last Tuesday, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school board rejected all bids for the 10.9 acre Millikin site near Severance Town Center. The site was appraised at $2.5 million, but the highest cash offer was $500,000. The district plans to try to get fair market value for the land and return it to productive use. However, a growing number of neighbors are urging the board to preserve what they call "the city's last wilderness area."

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education received proposals from four parties interested in redeveloping the 10.9 acre Millikin School property near Severance Town Center. Kingsbury Development Corp. hopes to redevelop the building as 16 townhouses, Mosdos Ohr Hatorah school wants to relocate there, New Community Bible Fellowship would like the site for its ministry, and Ken Hadden of Heights Garden Center wants to partner with the District to build housing while training high school students.

The Cedar Lee Special Improvement District is sponsoring a Cedar Lee streetscape community design charrette (PDF) on Saturday from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Main Library on Lee Road. On March 8 at 7:00 p.m., the City of Shaker Heights will host a public meeting about transit-oriented development and the Van Aken-Lee area.

Construction will begin next month for the parking garage portion of The Terraces development on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. It should be completed this fall. Work on the residential and retail section is scheduled to begin in the fall and for completion in 2009.

Cuyahoga County's first straw bale home is under construction on Cedar Road near Norfolk Road in Cleveland Heights. Volunteers are helping to build the bungalow designed by the firm of Doty & Miller. At today's energy costs, the insulation should pay for itself in seven to ten years.

Developers of the Terraces at Meadowbrook (the project formerly known as Domain on Lee) will unveil their designs for the mixed-use development on Tuesday evening at Cleveland Heights City Hall. The $25.7 million project in the Cedar-Lee district will include condominiums, retail, and a parking garage.

Last month, the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission designated the Community of Living Hope church on Caledonia Avenue as a Cleveland Heights Landmark.