Lake wood as an arts district, part deux.

Due to the tenacity of my one other closeted contributor I may have to rethink my perspective upon the possibility of turning Lakewood Ohio into an arts district.

One of Cleveland's "inner ring suburbs" Lakewood is constantly remarked upon as the densest (in terms of population) cities between New York City and Chicago. This proliferation of a strong, multi-generational community continues to attract younger residents which (as current trends show) recognize the importance of amenities in their decision to call an area home.

While proximity to Cleveland allows for shorter commute times and the amazing park access appeals to those who find sanctuary in nature there is a growing argument that Lakewood has the attractions and the population to capitalize on becoming an arts district. The city would also be able to utilize the "arts district" title to wrestle funding for improvements such as the $20,000 grant that went towards a design study to keep the Beck Center local. Recently there was the announcement of ..."A nearly $100,000 grant from Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency is earmarked for streetscape improvements along Detroit".. which could be a major step in magnifying the already evident street life along Detroit in what would be a main artery of the arts district.

While I still contend that I am surprised by the option of making Lakewood an arts district I think I am warming up to the idea the more I learn about how it isn't just an empty label to apply in order to drum up tourism.

I guess the only thing to do is to wait and see what develops, perhaps even take an active role and go to this forum.

Resources:
Plain Dealer article that continued this diatribe.
Lakewood State of the City Address

-more thanks to MarJ

Tremont Art Walk

Tremont Art Walk
Friday, March 9th, 2007

If the card has been updated, I couldn't find it. That makes me sad.

There is time to do some of this before you go to Kevin's Birthday Bash.

Someone please tell me how I can get an "art card" ahead of time so that I can link to it or post it or something, please.

Funtime Friday! Happy Birthday Kevin!

Kevin "sexiest music store dude's" 30th Birfday Party
Friday, March 9th, 2007
@ Music Saves Record Good Time Happy Palace!
Starts promptly at 8pm with musical quests: Trouble Books and Woodenships!

There is the promise of Pizza! Hot!

Then go next door to Beachland Ballroom (tavern) for Six Parts Seven, Good Morning Valentine & Poor Sailor (only 8 bux!)

I suck at linking files ------->pizza party invite .pdf

Also, check out Music Saves newish website that seems to keep getting updated, like fanatically. So nice I linked to em twice!

Support local businesses!

James Beasley - welcome to your new office

This has been quite a couple of years of missed and ignored possibilites lately for the region of Northeast Ohio. Topping the would be the Cleveland Trust Tower, the possible re-configuring of Cleveland's innerbelt trench and of course the innerbelt bridge project both of which are discussed in detail, here

Luckily for the new ODOT director, Mr. James Beasley, he only has to deal with two of those top three issues. With a warm welcome from WCPN ( href="http://www.wcpn.org/podcast/audio/2007/03/0306news.mp3">audio link - it starts about 4 minutes into the cast) the city would like to extend its arms in a gracious embrace while we whisper softly in the ear "Please don't screw us up."

Of course, what would make your day more welcome then a fresh airing of complaints with the direction of how the past leadership has dealt with these problems. For that I would like to offer Mr. Ed Hauser's wonderfully exhaustive letter to Mr. Beasley of welcome - reprinted here for your enjoyment.

To: James Beasley

Director, Ohio Department of Transportation

1980 W. Broad Street

Columbus, OH 43223

From: Ed Hauser

11125 Lake Avenue #402

Cleveland, Ohio 44102

Subject: Public Comments for the Cleveland Innerbelt Conceptual Alternatives Study and Request for a "Peer Review" of the Innerbelt Bridge Project - Reply Requested

cc: Federal, State, County, and City Public Officials; Interested Citizens; and the Media

Dear Director Beasley:

First of all, I want to congratulate you on your appointment as the director of the Ohio Department of Transportation. I was pleased to learn about an ODOT transition report and have a renewed hope in ODOT operations with Governor Strickland's and your "new ODOT vision." The report states, "The Strickland-Fisher Turnaround Ohio plan outlines a new direction for the state that requires ODOT to engage more fully as a partner, to live within its means of available resources and to rethink its role as an agent for change and prosperity for all Ohioans."

My comments will focus on the Innerbelt Bridge Project, which ODOT has still not revealed to the taxpayers that it will cost $1.16 BILLION. To put the Innerbelt Bridge Project in perspective: (1) It is the most costly public works project in the history of Cleveland (Hopkins Runway project is $500 million); (2) It is over ¾ of the cost for the entire Cleveland Innerbelt Project ($1.5 Billion).

I am sending my comments and request directly to you because ODOT is still moving ahead with its Innerbelt Bridge Project without taking into account its "new ODOT vision." I understand that the new administration has inherited the Innerbelt Project problems, but we need your leadership get this project under control and do the right thing for Northeast Ohio. For over one-year I have expressed my concerns about the Cleveland Innerbelt Project by submitting five assessments and numerous letters along with comments at public meetings and at the Section 106 consulting party meetings.

My comments and requests will cover the topics highlighted below:

· ODOT's Proposed Innerbelt Bridge Plan- Invalid because ODOT is conducting a flawed Project Development Process and Public Involvement Process.

· ODOT's Proposed Innerbelt Bridge Plan- Demolishes three structures recommended for the National Register of Historic Places.

· ODOT's Proposed Innerbelt Bridge Plan- $1.168 BILLION Innerbelt Bridge Project is the most costly public works project in the history of Cleveland!

· Request to Public Officials- It's time to do this right and take responsible action to restore the public's trust and confidence in the State and Federal processes and to use our tax dollars wisely.

· REQUESTED SOLUTION- Federal, State, County and City Public Officials must commission a "Peer Review" and hire an independent (unbiased) consultant to conduct a valid engineering study and economic impact study to compare the costs, feasibility, traffic interruptions and economic impact for ODOT's Northern Bridge Alignment and the "original" Southern Bridge Alignment (new two-way bridge).

ODOT's Proposed Innerbelt Bridge Plan- Invalid because ODOT is conducting a flawed Project Development Process and Public Involvement Process

ODOT and the FHWA continue to ignore the major problems with the PDP and PIP after being notified to correct the problems in writing and by public comments. The result of this inaction will jeopardize the mandated federal process for the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106 process and the subsequent National Transportation Act (NTA) Section 4(f) process, which are part of the overall National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Impact Statement. Once again, I will highlight several of the major flaws in the PDP and PIP below:

· The "original" Southern Bridge Alignment Alternative (new two-way bridge) was invalidly removed because ODOT and Burgess & Niple purported that it would take the Greek Orthodox Church in June 2005.

· In November 2005, ODOT revised that claim by stating that the Southern Bridge Alignment would encroach on the Tremont Historic District, but never seriously reconsidered that alternative.

· The original Southern Bridge Alignment Alternative was never fully developed and replaced by a "hybrid" southern alignment with a new East Bound Bridge and keeping the existing bridge.

· Predetermined outcome for the Northern Bridge Alignment because ODOT began acquiring properties for that bridge alignment in November 2005 (PDP-Step 10) before the federal Section 106 Process began in May 2006 (PDP-Step 4). ODOT skipped 6 steps of the PDP!

· Predetermined outcome for the Northern Bridge Alignment because ODOT claimed to have endorsements from public officials on January 21, 2006, prior to the release of the Conceptual Alternatives Study and the evaluation of public comments on the study. The public comment period for the study remains open until March 5, 2007.

· The federal process schedule to inform the public on how and when to participate was released in November 2005. None of the scheduled items were followed and the schedule was not updated until December 2006. The public was removed from being involved in the process by not being able to provide any meaningful input while decisions were made concerning the Innerbelt Bridge.

· ODOT's director wrote a letter in May 2006, acknowledging the "deficient performance" by the lead consultant in several areas but not limited to: leadership; NEPA processes and documentation; documentation and evaluation of alternatives and public involvement meetings; schedule management…

· The problems stated above clearly demonstrate major flaws in ODOT and federal processes.

ODOT's Proposed Innerbelt Bridge Plan- Demolishes three structures recommended for the National Register of Historic Places

After reviewing the "Identified Historic Structures with Potential Impacts" display board at the public meeting on February 1, three (3) of the five (5) identified historic structures will be demolished if ODOT implements its "Recommended Preferred Alternative" for the Northern Bridge Alignment.

· ODOT no longer references or displays any bridge alternatives that will not impact historic structures recommended for the National Register of Historic Places.

· The flawed processes led to an outcome that will demolish three (3) historic structures without a viable alternative because the Southern Bridge Alignment Alternative was invalidly removed.

· Cleveland will lose the historic Broadway Mills Building, Marathon Gas Station and Distribution Terminal Warehouse, which were recommended for the National Register of Historic Places.

· The federal historic review processes for the NHPA-Section 106 and NTA-Section 4(f) will be jeopardized if ODOT and the FHWA fail to fully develop the "original" Southern Bridge Alignment (new two-way bridge) as an alternative. That Southern Bridge Alignment Alternative does not impact any structures recommended for the National Register of Historic Places.

· These federal processes call for the consideration of all "feasible alternatives" that have the least impact to structures and sites eligible or listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

ODOT's Proposed Innerbelt Bridge Plan- $1.168 BILLION Innerbelt Bridge Project is the most costly public works project in the history of Cleveland!

On January 31, 2006, I submitted my "Assessment #1 Findings - Request for the FWHA & ODOT to: Correct the Project Development Process & Public Involvement Process and Reconsider the Southern Innerbelt Bridge Alignment Alternative - Reply Requested." This was the first of five assessments submitted to ODOT and FHWA that were never addressed or replied to.

· My first assessment concluded by stating, "I will argue that the ODOT "Recommended Preferred Alternative" for the Northern Bridge Alignment will cost us over $1 Billion. That is because ODOT has not acknowledged the cost to replace the existing bridge in the future."

· We waited one year and two days (2/1/07) for ODOT to calculate the cost to replace the existing bridge and finally acknowledge that its proposed Innerbelt Bridge Project will cost taxpayers over ONE BILLION DOLLARS for its proposed Northern Bridge Alignment!

· $1.168 BILLION is ODOT's projected total cost for the Northern Bridge Alignment Project. ODOT's numbers: $1,168,000,000 = $511,000,000 [New Westbound Bridge] + $137,000,000 [Repair Existing Bridge] + $520,000,000 [New Eastbound Bridge]. WOW! That's a lot of money!

· The proposed BILLION DOLLAR Innerbelt Bridge Project makes it the most expensive public works project in the history of Cleveland and over 3/4 of the projected cost for the entire Cleveland Innerbelt Project ($1.5 BILLION). Over twice the cost of the Cleveland Hopkins runway project ($500 million), currently most expensive public works project.

· ODOT did not provide the cost for the future East Bound Bridge or the entire cost of the Innerbelt Bridge Project to Cleveland City Council or the Cleveland City Planning Commission at the "Innerbelt Update and Overview" meetings in January 2007.

· No Guarantee that ODOT will fund the future East Bound Bridge for $520 million in 15 years. ODOT has already begun slashing $1.2 BILLION for major construction projects from its budget.

Request to Public Officials- It's time to do this right and take responsible action to restore the public's trust and confidence in the State and Federal processes and to use our tax dollars wisely

After six years of actively participating in these State and Federal processes and with a background in process control engineering, I want to make my following observations perfectly clear:

· The ODOT Project Development Process and Public Involvement Process- lack timely and factual information; lack true public involvement; and lack transparency in decision making.

· I am losing all trust and confidence in these processes because of my experiences and treatment while actively participating in these processes.

· Renewed hope with Governor Strickland beginning to "Turnaround" ODOT with a new director and stating the new leadership will re-examine Cleveland's massive Innerbelt Project.

REQUESTED SOLUTION- Federal, State, County and City Public Officials must commission a "Peer Review" and hire an independent (unbiased) consultant to conduct a valid engineering study and economic impact study to compare the costs, feasibility, traffic interruptions and economic impact for ODOT's Northern Bridge Alignment and the "original" Southern Bridge Alignment (new two-way bridge)

CONCLUSION- If our public officials choose NOT to commission the "Peer Review" for the Innerbelt Bridge Project stated above, I recommend a "Minimal Build" alternative for the Cleveland Innerbelt Project. That would entail straightening the Innerbelt Curve ("Dead Man's Curve") at $98 million and rehabilitate the existing Innerbelt Bridge for 50 years at $268 million for a total cost to the taxpayers of $366 million. That would save the taxpayers $1.134 BILLION ($1.5B-$366M) that could be used elsewhere. The citizens and taxpayers of Ohio cannot accept substandard state and federal processes that yield substandard outcomes!

Really, quite wonderful stuff.

Resources:
03-31-06%20ODOT%20Innerbelt%20Bridge%20Assessment%20%234.doc
04-21-06%20ODOT%20Innerbelt%20Bridge%20Assessment%20%235.doc
Hauser-ODOT%20Docs.PDF
Hauser-ODOT%20Innerbelt%20CAS%20Comments%20%26%20Request%20.doc
ODOT-Officials%20Docs.PDF

Wow, you guys read all the way down here? Good for you! Heads up thanks to MarJ.

Skin Deep Kent Arch/Design Exhibition

.pdf postcard

I get excited when I think about the potential of showcasing all the work that goes on with local schools. I know from personal experience that we did many projects and studies on the local environment from site specific projects to trying to re-imagine master planning techniques for entire communities. There seems to be practically an EXPLOSION of recent exhibits and competitions attempting to get communities to realize that currently there is much discussion about the city and that if they should be at least aware of it, if not actively part of it.

Granted, many of the exhibits seem to be granting exposure to a smaller selection of designers (that is the nature of many exhibits regardless) but that is no excuse for not participating in the many competitions and charrettes that citizens are attempting to jumpstart in order to accelerate this dialog and interact with the larger community.

There is so much POTENTIAL for this town. There just needs to be more voice and involvement behind it.

Gallery 1point618
Kent State College of Architecture and Environmental Design

Cleveland International Film Festival

March 15 - 25, 2007
Cleveland International Film Festival

Where, there isn't really much to say about this. Instead I will just offer a wide variety of links. Most of which you could have just found on your own.

Films at the fest
Film schedule and location

Also, I noticed that my monthly bus/rail pass looked all, I don't know, DIFFERENT having all this text all over it. Closer examination revealed that I can use my RTA pass and save $1.00 per ticket! Imagine the savings if I used my pass to get to the films and then used it to buy my tickets. Bwahahahahahahaha!

Bwahahaha INDEED!

State of the City transcript 2007

It took me longer then I expected to find this information, I suppose because it hasn't been online long enough for Google to point to it.

Anyway, care of the Plain Dealer "all the news that's fit to use..." Mayor Frank Jackson's 2007 State of the City Address transcription.

I enjoy the comments as much as the speech.

Now, read it, then get off your duff and do something. Quickly. Before you get sucked into some crappy movie on TV. HURRY!

Give a man a fish they eat for a day, teach some kid to love his city...

...and he may get sick of fish and try a burger.

An interesting project is currently looking for some help. "Look Up to Cleveland" (website currently under construction) is looking for designers that would be willing to help out teams of high school kids from around the region develop civic plans for an undetermined community.

Sounds pretty cool to me.

Here is a little teaser from the flyer.

BE A PART OF AN EXCITING TEAM!!!

SEEKING . . . . .

ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS

TO SERVE AS TECHNICAL ADVISORS

NEED: Individuals interested in planning and urban design to volunteer their time as team

advisors working with 16-17 high school juniors to develop goal driven Civic Vision

plans for Cleveland and a designated neighborhood. The high school students are

enrolled in Look Up To Cleveland, a program for outstanding student leaders who

represent public, private and parochial schools throughout Cuyahoga County.

Teams will incorporate the following components in their plan:

Residential Recreation / Open Space

Commercial Special Uses

Industrial

Since I don't have much in the way of a website I will offer the link to the word document flyer as well as the tech adviser form, both of which come to us from AIA Cleveland.

I would expect great things from these kids, unencumbered with all the horrible lessons of urban design so many strap to themselves throughout their time in a typically formulaic program. Great things indeed.

Lakewood: another arts district?

Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Beck Center Armory
17801 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, OH

LakewoodAlive's next forum will explore the idea of an Arts District in Lakewood. A panel of experts will discuss what makes up an arts district, examples of thriving art districts and the economic benefits associated with them.

“We anticipate a lively discussion about whether an arts district would be appropriate and beneficial for Lakewood,” said Mary Anne Crampton, president of LakewoodAlive. “We would like to explore all of the issues that are critical to the development and sustainability of an arts district.”

Panelists include:
Art Falco , President and CEO, Playhouse Square Foundation
Tom Schorgl, President and CEO, The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture
Daniel Cuffaro, Chairman and Associate Professor, Department of Industrial Design, Cleveland Institute of Art and current proponent of “District of Design” in Downtown Cleveland
Kathleen Cerveny, Program Director for Arts and Culture, The Cleveland Foundation

Thomas Mulready, publisher of CoolCleveland, will moderate.

The forum will be held on Tuesday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. at the Beck Center Armory, 17801 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. The Armory is located directly behind the Beck Center’s main building and parking is available in the adjacent lot and on nearby sidestreets.

This event is free and advanced registration is not necessary.

LakewoodAlive webernet site

I have to exhibit my trepidation here. I love Lakewood. I grew up in Cleveland Heights (for the most part) and when it came time to move back to Cleveland from lands far off (Kent State) I couldn't in good conscience pick Cleveland Heights or University Heights or any of those places over the amazing little town of Lakewood. With all its walkable parks and fun little shops it won my heart. As far as becoming an arts district, I am not sure how it can compare to Tremont which does the entire arts district thing amazingly well. Perhaps Lakewood could capitalize on what it already does well and become a bar district that happens to have some kick ass art places interspaced (as well as a plethora of funeral homes, perhaps Lakewood could use the whole "we put the FUN in FUNeral home!"?)

I don't know. Go to the forum and express your own opinion. You might as well, it is free and you probably don't have anything else to do.

Mayor Frank Jackson State of the City Address while east bank razes the roofs.

While Mayor Frank Jackson unveiled his 2007 State of the City Address at the City Club which laid out some of the many major developments currently underway or being planned in order to rebuild the city the east bank of the flats gave witness to the beginning of the process.

WKYC brings us video of Joe's Crabshack (a shack in which crab and other seafare was once served) being treated in a rather rude manner by some heavy equipment.

I was given this information in what could be considered unbridled glee as it may mean that new development along our might river may create some new and vibrant possibilities for the city. I shared this glee (although I tried to hide it). My informant and I sat and blinked at each other for a couple of seconds before he said "Well, it doesn't mean anything may ever get built though". True, I replied. "Also," he continued "it isn't as if we are not used to having things torn down and replaced with vacant lots."

I didn't have the heart to really continue that line of thought. Hopefully this will mean some work for some local folk. Besides, empty lots along a river have got to be better then vacant boarded up buildings that once housed misplaced social experiments such as "Dick's Last Resort", a "restaurant" where the kitch was that the staff was rude. (What the heck is the excuse for the staff at the other thousands of restaurants in the city?)

So what is the State of the City? Well, hopefully I can dig a transcript up or get the City Club's feed to work. Until then just make motor noises with your mouth, pretend to knock things over and imagine that life will move back into the flats.

Does having a neighborhood make good neighbors?

I suppose there are many questions that are bound to be raised when a study such as the Maxine Goodman Levine College of Urban Affairs recently released report on Cleveland's current abatement program (pdf format) is released. Especially when the report states that granting people abatements on property taxes does not adversely affect programs that are primarily funded by property taxes (see Ohio Schools) and that tax abatement programs actually create more money then they lose.

There are some quite interesting arguments in the report such as 60% of people that move to new homes in Cleveland would not do so without the tax abatement program, that the school system is near to last when it comes to factors people take into account when moving to Cleveland (especially if they don't want to fund it) and that "very few abated homes have been built for upper-level incomes" (new homes costing over $200,000).

There was also a discussion on WCPN (audio link) this morning where the following were guests:

Guests: Mark Rosentraub, Dean, CSU/Levin College of Urban Affairs; Joe Cimperman, City Council member; Nate Coffman, Executive director Cleveland Homebuilders Association; Tasha Flournoy, WCPN; Jim Rokakis, Cuyahoga County Treasurer

Lately I had been looking into Cleveland's Landbank Program to scout decent building sites to build a fairly cheap, sustainable domicile of my own from which I would eventually enjoy raising a brood. However the online database for Cleveland is not online anymore and when I called for information it seemed I was really annoying the person who was to take my request and allow me to come down to City Hall during their amazingly flexible and long hours of operation and put down some cold hard cash money for a "print out" of available parcels.

I may not be a web genius but I am pretty sure that if you can create a print out you can post it online in a database format similar to what some other Ohio Cities are doing.

What does this have to do with the abatement program? Well, not a lot directly. I am just trying to point out that Cleveland has some rather amazing programs for people to utilize if they would like to move into one of the many neighborhoods that exist and while some programs may seem like another attempt to nickel and dime constituents or like shortsighted solutions that actually devalue the city they are meant to support one can easily argue that the problems created by these programs are actually opportunities to discover ways to refinance local schools and build stronger communities of people that want to live here.

I don't really mean to seem this optimistic, it just happens naturally sometimes.

When Trailor Parks attack.

Sometimes I actually feel a little sick when I read things that mostly pertain to people not thinking things all the way out. I don't really believe that anything done in this case was malicious, just perhaps not properly planned nor executed.

According to the South Mississippi Sun Herald FEMA trailors that are currently being used to house Hurricane Katrina victims are making inhabitants sick due to exposure to formaldehyde that was used in the construction materials of the trailers. Granted, the trailers were not built nor designed to be inhabited as long as they were but it strikes me as odd that a government agency would make such an oversight and it strikes me as odd that we are still building small enclosed spaces out of materials that contain known toxins.

This whole disaster continues to break my heart. First the impact and devastation followed by a ham handed response, then the barrage of corruption and people acting at their worst and finally stories of how the affected areas are still ravaged, that basic life needs are not being met, that we still can't provide safe shelters for people. I know there have been gems in the muck, people acting for the better good and helping their neighbor and I in no way mean to tarnish those actions. I am just commenting on how hurt we still are.

|re|Design Cleveland Charrette launch

There seems to be a push for Cleveland to remake it's image through collaborative design competitions and I am all for.

|re|Design Cleveland seems to be a website/blog for design charrette's (word on the street is possibly monthly) that are open to anyone who would like to sketch or create an idea to make Cleveland more livable. Their first charrette is a simple re-skinning of a parking deck near public square and is due in the beginning of March.

Currently there are no registration fees nor prizes as it is operating on a charrette basis (open discussion, sharing/creation of multiple ideas) and it seems as sort of a refreshing design exercise for those of us who want to sketch something out quick and see what others thinking regarding similar problems.

As per usual, I am not the only nutjob out there.

While sharing my learning of the use of PVC in children's lunchboxes with my lovely girlfriend, she got one of those weird looks on her face and then proceeded to walk out of the room while I was in mid sentence. Typically this just means that what I am going on about doesn't interest her in the least. However, she had gone to fetch the latest issue of EarthWatch Ohio, a collaborative 501(c)(3) circular that is put out by "people with environmental concerns". Yes, these are probably the same people that you think have nothing better to do but sit around campfires smoking dope doing all they can to bring down "the establishment" and American business ideals and so you disdain anything they say from the comfort of your endangered elephant easy chair in your oversized McMansion home in the nice gated suburb hours away from where you have to work 0rdering underpaid, malnourished immigrants about your factory floor. [Hyperbole inserted here to denote my frustration with the use of stereotyping/laziness (instead of attempting to listen and learn something) that I get exposed to on a daily basis].

Right.

Anyway, EarthWatch Ohio (whom I believe are all hard working family members who just happen to have a passion for their communities) had a rather interesting article on page 3 of their February/March 2007 issue (which you can download from their website if you would like) which included a nice mention of Sam Suds, the PVC Free website's anti PVC hero whom I think is a bar of soap.

They also had a nice legend of recycling symbols definitions that I would like to repeat here but can't find a nice image of. I can offer this attractive link instead.