Mayor's Community Updates
August 2008
It has been a great summer in Shaker Heights -- almost 100 neighborhood block parties and many community events. Here are a few more items to keep in mind as we turn the corner into fall.
Shaker Community Band Premieres Resident Composition on Wednesday, August 20 at 7 PM
Enjoy another outstanding free concert on the lawn at the Colonnade next to the Shaker Community Building, 3450 Lee Rd. when Luis Coehlo conducts this band of volunteer musicians in an evening of favorites plus the world premiere of Mercer resident Victoria Belfiglio's "Alla Marcia," a march composed with the Shaker Community Band in mind. Bring a lawn chair if you like. I look forward to seeing many of you there.
Join the Citizens Police Academy
Citizens Police Academy graduates assist our police force in many important ways, including neighborhood watches, special events support, and in scenario based training.
A new class starts at 7 PM on Thursday, August 28 at the Shaker Police Station and continues weekly through November. The program provides extensive training and is offered at no cost. Graduates help keep our community secure and safe.
Residents and those who work in the City are encouraged to participate by contacting Debbie Messing at 216-491-1248 or visit the Citizens Police Academy webpage.
70th Senior PGA Championship Comes to Shaker Heights Memorial Day Weekend, May 19-24, 2009 at Canterbury Golf Course
The 70th Senior PGA Championship at Canterbury Golf Course, shared by Shaker Heights and Beachwood, promises to bring national attention to our community and the Greater Cleveland area.
The 70th Senior PGA Championship Volunteer Program offers a unique opportunity to see many of the world's greatest golfers play right in our home town. Volunteers needed as Hole Marshals, at Merchandise Tent, and Contestant Transportation.
Visit www.SENIORPGA2009.com to complete an online application or contact Catherine Abel in the 70th Senior PGA Championship Office at 216-283-2009.
Firefighters Find Many Shaker Homes Without Working Smoke Detectors
The Fire Department, Marcos Pizza and University Hospitals partnered in a program to conduct home safety surveys this summer. While 69 percent of residents visited by the Partners in Prevention program have welcomed the crews to check for the alarms, 40 percent of the homes visited have non-functioning or missing smoke detectors.
Please check to be sure your home has properly located and working smoke detectors to protect you in the event of an emergency. Schedule a free fire inspection by calling 216-491-1200.
Be Part of the Community Emergency Response Team
Shaker will soon train another Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
CERT teams make a difference in cities all across the nation, and there are several active groups throughout Cuyahoga County.
CERT members are trained in basic disaster response skills and serve a vital role in the community, providing education to their neighbors about disaster preparedness and assistance to response teams in the event of an emergency.
Classes are held every Tuesday night from 7-10 PM at the Fire House, 17000 Chagrin Boulevard. They begin Tuesday, September 16 and end November 4. Join up!
Other News
We expect the South Woodland Street Project to be completed by the August 26 start of school.
The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency has completed a draft of the On-Road Bicycle Route Network Plan for Shaker. The City received a technical assistance grant for the plan, which recommends the location of on-road bike routes, signage design and placement.
Installation of new street signs, mandated by the State of Ohio, will begin this month. The new signs are larger and contain a reflective white backing making them more readily visible at night.
June 2008
I wanted to remind you of two upcoming community events and share some news.
5th Annual Summer Solstice Festival
Saturday, June 21 from 5-10 PM at the Community Colonnade, Van Aken and Lee, in front of the library. Admission is free, open to the public, rain or shine.
Celebrate the longest day of the year with live music, art activities for children, street performers and hand-crafted creations from community artisans. Food from local restaurants will be sold.
Inspired by centuries-old worldwide traditions, at dusk, a rhythm specialist will lead a circle of drummers around a glowing bonfire.
You may want to bring lawn chairs and blankets.
PLEASE NOTE: The Shaker Arts Council (SHAC) still needs volunteers to help clear the area after the event. Please contact 464-8109 or visit shakerartscouncil.org if you have some time and energy.
4th Annual Gracious Gardens of Shaker Heights
Also, don't forget the Garden Tour on Sunday, June 22 from 1-5 PM to benefit the Shaker Historical Society. Visit shakerhistory.org for more information.
I received a great report from the Cleveland Restoration Society, which runs the Heritage Home Program.
In 2007, their technical staff advised 48 homeowners on their maintenance, rehabilitation and restoration projects. Eighteen homeowners utilized the low interest home equity loans for a value of $596,081 in neighborhood reinvestment.
Loans are available for homes that are at least fifty years old. If you'd like to learn more about the program, call Sarah Beimers at the Cleveland Restoration Society, 426-3106.
And finally, I am delighted to announce creation of the Shaker Heights Dads' Club. Meetings are every second Tuesday of the month at Brennans' Colony on Lee (in Cleveland Heights, but they promise me they'll find a place in Shaker soon!) from 8:45 PM onwards. The next meeting is on Tuesday, July 8. Visit the recently created website at shakerdads.com.
May 2008
Shaker's new or newly renovated facilities are ready for you to enjoy.
Saturday, May 10, 10 AM at Shaker Median Trail
Please join me and members of City Council at the Green Road RTA to officially open the new median trail. Then take a 2.25 mile community ride to Horseshoe Lake Park to Celebrate National Bike Month. (Walkers/runners/dogs on leashes all welcome.) Bike route maps will be provided (helmets are required for those on bikes). The trail is ADA accessible.
Saturday, May 24, 10 AM at Horseshoe Lake Park
8:30-11:30 AM Annual Pancake Breakfast
9:30 AM Ribbon Cutting
9:45 and 10 AM Tours of the park and trails
Saturday, May 24, Thornton Park Pool, Free Aquatic Safety Day
1-2:30 PM Interactive Stations
2:30-3 PM Refreshments
Free water safety class for children ages 5-12 and their parents. Reservations required by May 19. Call 491-1295. Sponsored by Shaker Heights, Southeast Family YMCA & South Pointe Hospital.
Finally, don't forget the Memorial Day ceremony and parade on Monday, May 26. Meet in front of City Hall at Clayton & Van Aken at 9 AM and end at Thornton Park. To participate in the parade, or for more information, see Memorial Day Parade.
New Promise for Avalon Station
The quality of the Lofts at Avalon Station is apparent to everyone who visits them. Fine architecture, spacious living and, in many cases, spectacular views of our City and its surroundings are part of the appeal of these condominium units.
The sale of all Avalon Station units is important to the City's economic development, and critical to the City's ability to recoup its investment in the project. Based on projections, when fully sold, the units are expected to generate an additional $433,000 in property taxes every year. Of that amount, three-quarters will go to the City for up to 30 years in repayment of its investment in the public infrastructure improvements throughout the Shaker Town Center area. The balance will go to the Shaker Heights City Schools.
Avalon Station is part of the $60M transit oriented redevelopment of Shaker Town Center - an environmentally friendly reuse of existing land, close to public transportation and walkable to many shops and services. The redevelopment is designed to transform the area into a vibrant, pedestrian friendly, mixed use town center. It has already won the 2008 Community Excellence Award from the Smart Growth Education Foundation.
To stimulate sales of this project, incentives are now being provided. Among other things, the City has agreed to provide subsidies which range from $5000 to $12,000 for some unsold units and the Fund for the Future of Shaker Heights has agreed to provide low-interest down payment matching loans for up to $18,000 for each unsold unit. Similar down payment assistance programs operate in cities all over the country. Shaker's portion of these incentives will come from its Economic Development Reserve created several years ago as the result of extraordinary estate tax receipts in those years.
For the community, these are modest incentives in light of the benefits to be realized from a successful completion of sales. They are significant for the individual buyer. If you haven't seen the project, please stop by the sales office and advise friends or acquaintances who may be in the market for a handsome condominium of the availability of these incentives.
March 2008
Warrensville/Van Aken Transit Oriented Development
On February 27, a day that was so cold and snowy the schools were closed, more than 60 enthusiastic residents came out to hear a report from City consultants concerning the redesign of the Warrensville-Van Aken intersection.
The consultants presented the preferred option for transit, streets and possible development parcel layouts. A new mixed use office/retail/residential development is planned. The proposed plan involves extending the Rapid to the eastern side of Warrensville to a new transit center.
The plan also:
- Closes off Van Aken between Farnsleigh and Warrensville.
- Re-routes Northfield, turning the six-way intersection into a standard four-way intersection -- allowing traffic to move much more efficiently.
Residents enthusiastically discussed neighborhood traffic issues and potential solutions, and also made suggestions for changes to the preferred plan. Their suggestions will be incorporated into the final recommendation to be presented to City Council at an upcoming meeting. Visit the City website to learn when the plan will be on Council's agenda.
The City's consultants, The Planning Partnership, who work throughout the United States and Canada, indicated that Shaker residents were the most enthusiastic and positive that they had ever seen. Complete meeting results and the preferred plan will be available on the City's website in about one week
Great Things Happening on the South Side of Chagrin
Amy Joy Donuts and New Millennium Salon are opening this spring at the former Ohio Savings Bank building. Robin Gorman's State Farm Insurance Agency will relocate to the second floor of this building.
Joe Coste, owner of Amy Joy Donuts, is excited to return to Shaker Heights.
"When looking for a place for this store, we were attracted to (this building) because of the dramatic improvements that have been completed and the way the developer is really making this urban redevelopment a reality. It's great to be able to move back to an area that proved to be successful for us in the past and be a part of the future of Shaker Heights."
The developer has invested $2M, an amount that is expected to increase to $2.75M by the time the project is completed.
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) Meeting on CEI Rate Case
The public has the opportunity to express their opinions on various issues raised by CEI's request for a rate increase. The hearing is on Thursday, March 13 in City Hall Council Chambers at 6:30 PM.
In Concert with Ludlow
A concert to celebrate the integrated neighborhood is scheduled for Sunday, March 9 at 4 PM at Shaker Heights High School, 15911 Aldersyde. It is sponsored by the Shaker Heights Arts Council, Verlezza Dance and the Ludlow Community Association. Performers will include Verlezza Dance, other professional artists and student groups from Shaker Heights and Cleveland. Proceeds will enhance youth programs and foster inter-community collaboration to benefit Ludlow and the surrounding area.
Tickets are $10, $25, $50 and $100 and children 10 and under will be admitted free with a paying adult. For reservations, call 216.314.0900 or go to www.shakerartscouncil.org/inconcertwithludlow.
January 2008
I am writing to update you on my first two weeks as Mayor. Events surrounding the tragic attack on Kevin McDermott in the Ludlow area have dominated this time period.
- Because Shaker has a unique position in the region as a community in which socio-economic and racial diversity have worked and because of our strong national reputation, the media have given the incident enormous attention. Together with Council, I have spent considerable time speaking with newspaper reporters and appearing on television and radio as well as at meetings with area residents about the incident and its impact. Council members, the community, and I are deeply upset about the incident, and our hearts are with the McDermott family as they recover from it.
While we in Shaker Heights take nothing for granted, crime in our community has declined dramatically over the last twenty years and an assault like this is virtually unprecedented here. In fact, since 1987, assaults are down in Shaker by over 80%. On the whole, crime is down over the last twenty years by over 50%. The security and safety of our residents are maintained by an outstanding police force supported by Citizen Police Academy graduates, and the eyes and ears of residents who report any suspicious situation. Shaker Heights remains a safe community.
The good news is that in the face of extreme and highly inappropriate reactions elsewhere and in certain parts of the media, our Shaker community, led by Ludlow residents, has expressed positive feelings about our City and provided the McDermott family with enormous support. In addition, we can find comfort in the highly effective Shaker police work, which has already resulted in the apprehension and charging of six suspects.
I hope you will join me and Council when the Human Relations Commission presents its annual awards on January 28 at 7:00 PM at the Shaker Community Building.
Recipients of the MLK, Jr. Human Relations Award are Lomond Association officers Brian Yusko and Bryan Moore.
Receiving a special award for lifetime achievement is real estate professional and fair housing champion Winston Richie, former City Council member and one of the founders of the Ludlow Association. Dr. Richie's award is presented in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., and of the federal Fair Housing Act, which was enacted just a week after Dr. King's assassination.
- Warrensville/Van Aken 2nd Public Meeting
I urge you to attend the second public workshop about the redesign of Warrensville/Van Aken on January 23 at the Shaker Community Building, 3450 Lee Rd., 7-9:30 PM. Consultants will present traffic study findings and updated design concepts based on feedback from the first workshop, and solicit your comments and suggestions.
Additional Public Meetings on January 24:
12:30-2 PM: Informal Open House - Meet with project designers and watch them turn resident input into design presentations.
6:30 PM: City Council Briefing/Wrap-Up - Designs presented to Council.
All meetings are at the Community Building.
Receive updates/public notices about the Warrensville/Van Aken project by signing up for the email list, All About Warrensville/Van Aken. Click the "Update Profile/Email Address" link at the bottom of this email.
I also look forward to seeing many of you at the Ice Festival at Thornton Park tomorrow. Special events include horse-drawn wagon rides from 3 to 5 PM, ice sculpture demonstrations from 1 to 4 PM and a special appearance by Mr. Twister during open skate from 2:30 to 4:30 PM - all for only $6. (skate rental $2.50)
The balance of my first few weeks has been spent meeting and greeting our directors and personnel and I am very pleased to have the opportunity to work with such an outstanding staff.
I am enormously grateful to have the opportunity to serve as Mayor of Shaker Heights and very much look forward to the next four years.
