City Council - Special Meeting

Okay. I'd like to call this special council  city council committee of the whole meeting   to order. It is Thursday, March 19th, 2026.  It's 6:30. Let's call it 6:33. Uh let's see.   I guess do you want to call the role or should  I? I guess I I'll call the role. Uh Jessica   Cohen here. I thought you were here. Uh Craig  Cobb crickets. Tony Cudis here. Gail Larson   here. Jim Posh here. And on the screen,  I'm sorry. On Zoom, we have Sarah Stone. Oh, not in yet. Okay. And how about Joe Dit Foy?  Not yet. Well, they they will be joining us by   Zoom. So, today we're here to talk about the  Blanch Avenue Extension Project and this is a   listening session. So, uh we'll have an hour for  public comment. The first thing we're going to   do though is have an introduction by Mayor Petrus.  Thank you, Mr. President. Um I don't have too much   to say, but I appreciate everyone who is attending  this evening's meeting. Uh just to reiterate what   President Cuda said, this is intended to be a  listening session. So my understanding is that   the staff are going to give a brief presentation  and then afterwards, Mr. Boz is here to talk for   a few moments and uh it's really an opportunity  to hear from residents about your thoughts on   the project. And and I'll just say that uh this  isn't this topic, just so you know, is something   that we've talked council has talked very little  about. We we I we had one really short briefing   and it was some months ago. So, we're we're here  to learn as much as as as you all are and um the  

staff and Bokeanz the developer will be giving us  some information. Uh I just want you to understand   there's there's no preconceived anything here.  We're taking in information and then we'll see   uh what happens. So, uh, the next, uh, who's going  to talk from the planning staff first? We have,   uh, assistant director Karen Canel and, uh,  economic development assistant director Brian   Anderson. And just so you know, Brian Aorio  is here as well from the planning staff and   Joe Ditfoy has joined us on Zoom. Gabe, thank  you, Mr. President, Mr. Mayor and Council. We   appreciate this time and and that we can review  this u project with the public and with you. So,   we wanted to start with just a brief project  description. The Blanch Avenue road extension   project involves construction of approximately  1,250 linear feet of roadway from the current   dead end of Blanch Avenue just east east of Revier  Road to Andrews Road at the city's border as well   as Andrews Road from Blanch Avenue to Banebridge.  So on the diagram you can see the green portion on   Blanch would be the the the construction and the  blue um uh line going north is is Andrews. The   proposed project will also include installation  of curbs, a sidewalk, water line, catch basin,   storm sewer, and sanitary sewer. The construction  of the roadway and infrastructure would allow the   potential for future construction by a private  developer of about 25 single family houses on   the north side of the street. Uh there will be  no development on the south side of the street   of the new roadway because this is a municipal  park and a conservation area um belonging to   the city of South Uklid. Finally, the city has  had preliminary conversation with South Uklid  

staff about the possibility of providing access  to this Oakwood Park as part of this project. So, so since before Cleveland Heights was  a city, Blanch Avenue has been planned to   extend to Andrews Road um in order to  complete the street and residential   pattern of the Taylor Milicanin neighborhood  east of South Taylor and south of Severance.   The roadway and lots were platted in the mid  1910s as part of the Taylor Heights aotment,   but this section of the subdivision was never  built. Uh the lots are generally 40 to 50 feet   wide and about 125 to 130 ft deep. The 1921  zoning map shows Blanch extending east to   meet Andrews Road. All the parcels are shown on  this map and the parcels are zoned for single   family residential use. An August 1921 plan for  improving Blanch Avenue showed a water mane and   sanitary sewers from Compton Road on the west all  the way to Andrew Road on the east. Planning and   zoning maps through the 1950s and60s and  forward through time show um the current   current map show including the current map show  Blanch Avenue and the parcels as on the maps.   A 1995 city street and points of interest map  included Blanch Avenue through to Andrews Road. So records indicate that the completion of  this residential subdivision on Blanch Avenue,   including the roadway and infrastructure, were  impacted directly by the Great Depression.   Since that time, there's documentation of the city  revisiting the Blanch Avenue subdivision, showing   that the desire to complete this neighborhood  remained. Um, in my May of 1978, planning staff   reviewed possible housing development that could  be accommodated on these parcels. In October of  

1988, the staff concluded that there was no  water and sewer Blanch Avenue east of Maple   and that Maple Road um they ended on Maple Road.  They stopped at Banebridge. In 2002, a housing   development site um was discussed including the  Blanch and and Andrews area describing it as a   five acre parcel divided into 29 vacant single  family parcels. And then in 2004 to early 2005,   the possibility of Blanch Andrew housing project  was again reviewed. City staff confirmed that   despite the 1921 plot map showing a complete  sewer main along Blanch Avenue to Andrews,   there was no physical evidence that this portion  of the sewer had was completed. Uh they televised   the sewer beginning at River Road and worked  eastward and found that there was a bulkhead just   inside the field eastward um side from the last  house on Blanch. Now we're going to switch it up. So I guess a question to ask and I'm going  to try just to talk rather than read that   relatively long paragraph is why is the city  considering this now and you know whether it's   been since I've started here the master plan  various plans you know the current you know   mayor and feedback from council is placing a  priority on seeing new investment in housing   new housing opportunities across a variety  of typologies and price points you Obviously,   we've done some projects in recent years that  have addressed um and brought new units online,   particularly in the rental market um both more  both the current projects like Nobility Court on   the affordable side. Um and then you know  your Cedarly and Top of the Hill projects   which are market rate apartments. Um so  we've made some progress on that front.   um while also wanting to see new investment,  new opportunities for owner occupant and single  

family housing investment and redevelopment.  Um and that's consistent with what we've been   trying to do with some of our infill lots. you  know, we reached an agreement with two different   entities for 65 lots um to do infill housing and  and certainly, you know, we're also um you know,   fundamentally supportive of opportunities that  involve private property um like this um as well, you know. And then additionally, you  know, again, going back to the history,   this completes the grid and street plan,  um, you know, for that neighborhood. Here we go. Sorry. It completes the grid  and street plan for that neighborhood. It   increases connectivity for all the ne the  people in the neighborhood in that area.   It provides an opportunity to open up um better  access to the green space that is in South Uklid   that currently exists which really is walled off  from all the people that are directly adjacent   to that uh property currently. Um and also  provides an opportunity to upgrade um sidewalks   and utilities and and some things both on that  street and the areas in and around it as well. So, we just wanted to review some of the public  engagement that has been going on. There is a   website on the city's web page that has all of  this information posted on it. And our last slide   has that actual uh uh web address on there.  This is written so that if it was published,   you could click that as a link. Uh council did  authorize a contract with GPD to prepare a civil   uh and landscape plan for for the road. letters  to neighbors and uh a public engagement session   was held last summer, July 17th. We met along  Maple Road to review the plans and talk about  

this proposed project. There's been um newsletter  announcements currently uh in process. There is   a section 106 historic review as well as an  environmental review that are under process   and we anticipate those being completed by April  of this year. Uh tonight's listening session of   course is another way to engage. And then what  we hope to do is take the information and any   substantial questions and comments we received  tonight create a a frequently asked question   that can then be posted again on on this web  page to provide additional information. I think   it's you a few additional I think things to  point out when thinking about this project.   This does not create a through street between  Taylor and Warrenville. So it is, you know,   just an extension of the neighborhood serving  grid and the streets in that area. City does   own two parcels out of the 29 or so, but the  rest are all privately owned. So this is,   you know, largely beyond, you know, the the  need for a public street to go in. These are   all privatelyowned single family zone platted lots  that currently don't have access and putting the   street in would provide the access to allow the  development that was always intended to happen   there. Um the city was not involved in the  previous real estate transactions. Obviously,   there's a um you know, history, you know, the  country club originally owned a lot of those lots,   eventually went to the Hebrew Academy. Um and you  know, now there's a a developer that you know,   has you know, begun to acquire or has options  to acquire those lots uh potentially to build   single family houses on them. And we'll hear  from um the developer here in the moment um in   a moment as well. um the costs associated here.  Um we did we do have a federal grant to offset   um you know a large chunk especially of the design  and some of the initial costs associated with the  

improvements needed here and it's anticipated  the rest of the cost um would be um incurred   by an assessment on the properties that are along  Andrews along this stretch there. So it is not a   cost that would come out of the general fund or  you know be picked up by the rest of the city. And then just a you know a quick comment you know  I did some really um preliminary draft economic   impacts to think about a little bit as well. Um  you know something to um you know keep in mind   so my assumptions here and this presentation  will go on the web page that we have for this   project. So don't feel like you have to consume  all of this um instantaneously you know. So,   I sort of I think these are pretty conservative  estimates as far as the number of homes. I did   20 homes, average household income of about 150  um,000, average price point of about 500,000,   which sounds like a lot, but in today's  market, you know, building new, you know,   you're at $150 to $200 a square foot to build  anything right now. Um and then running um the   income tax number for the city at 1.75% which sort  of accounts for um people who get the credit um   who work outside the city as opposed to our 2.25%.  Um and then this area if you look at our map   um for our tax abatement zone so all of our  residential tax abatements are by right like there   isn't a specific tax abatement for policy for this  project. Uh, it's determined by the CRA ordinance   and the CRA zones. This lands in what is a gold  zone on this on this map here, which equates for   new construction to a 75% 12-year tax abatement.  We'll talk more about the tax abatement in general  

and how anybody in the city can benefit from that  potentially. Um but you know even with that taken   into account um you know you can see the impacts  both in terms of income tax projections here and   also property tax um projections that you know  this project moving forward based upon these   assumptions still nets out over $8 million of new  tax revenue to the city and schools over a 30-year   uh over a 30-year period. Sorry, 8 million.  8 million. Mhm. So about 1 1.5 1.6 in income   tax. Um 6.4 million of property tax of which  4.5 of that goes to the schools and then um a   smaller portion then goes to the city 645,000 as  well as county and library and things like that. uh we don't want to take up a ton of time but  obviously you know when we've been um working   with GDP who's the engineering firm you know we've  taken a number of things into consideration in   terms of you know um fire and safety what are the  widths and radiuses um and things like that that   we we need to see for a project like this and we  also do want to be able to incorporate um you know   public comment community feedback into the design  process moving forward and that includes working   with a landscape architect in the city of South  Uklid to provide that access to the park as well. Um I did want to talk a little bit about the  CRA CRA program generally. So it is a citywide   program and that and tax benefits are available  for both renovation of existing homes and for new   construction throughout the city. Now, it ranges  on the renovation side from 50% in 7 years and  

goes up to 12 years and 100% for renovations and  then there's similar sort of tiered structured   based upon your location, you know, in the city.  So, the CRA program offers a tax exemption of   some percent of new housing value created. So  again, that doesn't necessarily um apply to what   someone's taxes may be today, but if you were  to make, you know, significant or want to make   significant improvements to your home, um whether  it's a renovation or an addition that, you know,   will probably add significant value to your house,  there is the opportunity for for residents to take   advantage of that program um as well, just  like a new construction opportunity as well.   Um, also wanted to highlight some of the  programs that are available to, you know,   existing residents as well. We wanted to just  touch on the the HPO program very very briefly   and Brian Iorio will be better able to address  that. Thank you. So, uh, we thought it'd be   a good idea to share the housing resources  available to property uh, primarily property   owners in the city of Cleveland Heights and these  programs are universal across the whole city.   uh the housing preservation office uh which  is the local uh the city office for housing   repair has a number of programs. A lot of them  are uh they're all income qualified. So um uh I   guess I'd say half of them are are long-standing  programs that are CDBG funded. So we have home   repair programs and senior home repair programs.  Um those are capped at 80% of area median income.   So for a family of four that's around $80,000. Um  and luckily due to uh the uh American Rescue Plan   Act or ARPA funds that was passed by council  in 23 u I believe um uh there's pro there's   similar programs that go up to 120% of AMI. So  that's about 120,000 for a 4erson household.  

Uh we also work closely with the home repair  resource center. So, if anyone's interested in   um uh benefiting from these city resources for  home repair, I'd suggest you call 216 291-5900.   That's 291-5900. Or you can check out our website  um look for housing preservation uh when you get   to the search bar, but uh there's a number of  ways that the city can help current homeowners.   All right. Thank you. Um before I call up Mr.  KZ, I want to let you know that Sarah Stone,   Councilwoman Sarah Stone has joined us on Zoom.  Even though I can't see her, she says she can see   us and and hear us. So, I guess that's good. Just  before we wrap up, just real quick, there are,   you know, a whole series of next steps that would  flow out of, you know, tonight and, you know,   the the whole process here. So, you know, tonight  isn't the end of, you know, the discussion or   what happens next. you know, you know, as far as  design and approvals and planning, there's still a   variety of things that need to happen. Again, the  whole presentation from tonight will be online on   the web page and then that's the web page for  those who are interested in in looking up the   additional information that's been posted there  as well. So, um, so I guess you know at this point   that's concludes the staff portion here. So, we'll  um Bo KZ, the president and CEO of uh KZ Homes is   here and he was going to say just a few comments  about uh you know their plans here. So, yeah. Good evening. Boke 7555 Freedle Drive, Concord  Township. I am a residential and commercial   builder developer throughout the state of Ohio.  Our current uh wingspan is Sandoski to the west,   uh Perry Village to the east, and Columbus  and Hawking Hills to the south. Uh we self  

build and self-develop about 40 to 60 homes per  year. We develop about 4 to 500 lots per year.   And some of those that we build on, some we sell  to local and national home builders. Some we   sell to homeowners uh that build their own homes.  I've been doing this for like I said 38 years. Uh   raised in Cleveland on East 55th St. Clair area.  Uh still reside on the east side. This uh parcel   was brought to us by a broker that uh knew u what  our line of work was. We then, this was, I think,   3 years ago, met with the city. The city expressed  interest and had a long-term plan to extend   um as Brian said, extend and develop uh the Blanch  Blanch Road. Um we at that time began acquiring   properties and the city, as Brian said, applied  for a grant through I think it was councilwoman   Brown uh to help fund the redevelopment of the  property. Uh I said we've been in this process   for about 3 years now. I was asked to introduce  myself. I'm open to any questions that anybody   council or the audience has. Council members,  any council members want to ask questions? Okay,   I guess you're off the hook. Thank you. All right,  we're going to move to public comment now. Um,   persons wishing to speak uh need to register in  advance and uh this is the only topic we can talk   about tonight just so you know because this is a  special meeting and that's the charter rule. Um,   you have a threeminut time. How many do we have?  Oh, how many? It's a dozen. Okay. While you're  

counting, uh, we have a threeminut time limit.  Just make sure when you come up you say your name   and the street you live on. And uh I am going  to keep it to three minutes because I think we   have 10. Oh, 10 comments. Oh, well that's that's  not that's I thought we'd have more. So go ahead   and call the first person. Cindy Carol Pankers. I  don't want to go first. Yeah, you don't want her   first. Okay. Lawrence Bradley. I'll be happy to  go first. Is it Lawrence Bradley is is up first? Yeah, Mr. Bradley, before you start, if if  there's anybody who would like to speak but   hasn't filled out a form yet, please go over  uh right here and fill out the form and then   hand it to Mr. Iorio. Floor is yours. Yes.  Lawrence Bradley, 3776 Banebridge Road. Um,   I guess the first thing is hearing that this has  been going on for three years and it was never   brought to our attention as taxpaying citizens.  Um, I think that's wrong. I've been here six   times and every time I've come to the council,  everybody had blank stairs and said they knew   nothing about it. Um, if you don't know nothing  about it and you're not going to investigate it,   you should at least send the the the the citizen  to the the the department that's handling it,   you know. So basically everything we've heard  is through rumors. So that's disappointing. I   also saw that uh on the on that that there that it  basically the sewer line is cut off right now. Um   the amount of money that's going to take to get  that going. You have 41 to 50 or 60 properties   that are available to be rebuilt. Now, uh they  should be rebuilt first rather than trying to uh   reconstruct an entire uh sewer and line that that  hasn't been available. They're already available.  

So, you know, and then now I'm you know, the other  rumors I'm hearing which um is that they're going   to take part of our land. Well, I I own a property  behind my house and they're trying talking about   um taking part of the land in order to build  a street and that that's just not acceptable.   And I definitely didn't want I mean we we've never  wanted the uh the um the um move the the the land   the the entrance into the South Uklid Park from  our side. That's just something I there's already   enough traffic and we're on a dead end now. I I  I don't know what it would be like otherwise. Um,   the other thing that I'm hearing, you know,  of course, as I'm watching your presentation,   a lot of things that were put up there were  things that uh my neighbors and I had uh put,   you know, as we found out things um you know, cuz  you know, Bang Bridge is a you can't even drive   down the sides of the street. You have to drive  down the middle because of the number of potholes   and everything down there. So, as taxpaying  citizens, let's fix our stuff before we build   new for somebody who's coming in. They get a brand  new road, they get brand new houses, they get tax   abatements, and we get nothing out of it. So, this  is um something that's uh very upsetting to me.   And the fact that you knew this for three years  and I've been up here seven times and finally   at the last time somebody said, "Well, maybe you  should go to the planning commission." Somebody   could have told me that the first time I came up  here. And so I I I'm it's just upsetting that uh   nobody ever talked to me and said where I should  go in order to express uh my concerns and you know   I've seen this couple of times and uh it's very  disappointing. Um so yeah, I'm still against it.   I I I don't know who's pushing this or who put  it, but they obviously didn't want the taxpaying  

citizens to know anything about it. That that's  the way it seems to me. So thank you. Thank you, Patricia Frostbrooks. Um, good evening, uh, Patricia Frost Brooks, 3782  Banebridge Road. Um, Lawrence and I are neighbors,   and he articulated, uh, very well what I was going  to ask. Um but as I listened to the presentation   I saw more questions arise um as was stated that  it was started back in 2002 2005 a housing review   and again why weren't we told of this and  I myself has been up here to city council   many times and asked the same questions um new  opportunities and new investments. There are other   places within the city that I think that could  have had new opportunities and new investments   um besides what's happening in my backyards with  these 65 lots that are privately owned. And who   are they privately owned by and we were not given  the opportunity to buy the lots that are in the   back of our homes? Councilwoman now, um Cohen,  um were you the weren't you the chair of the city   commission that was planning all of this? Is it is  that the name of it? City develop city development   and planning or something that is separate  than council. The planning commission hasn't   been involved yet. If I may ask, what was now  councilwoman uh Cohen a member of the chair of the   planning commission? But we're not we're actually  not going to do a back and forth now. So go ahead.  

We're not going to go back and forth. I just want  make sure you have your time to say everything you   want. I got it. I got it. Um again, it's going  to cause great disruption to our neighborhood.   The city's gain is going to be our loss, to  a community, to the residents that are there   that may have disruption in our lives, in our  children's lives that are there. the disruption of   building something that has been in existence for  what 99 years or so. And now you plan on building   something there and disrupting this community  when there are other streets and other parcels   within Cleveland Heights where you can have new  opportunities and new investments. Thank you. Rita El Bolton. Oh my. Tony calls that. Uh, good evening. My name is  Rita Bolton. I'm a 50-year resident of Cleveland   Heights. First of all, I don't like talking to  people that are totally involved in the projects   that's going on. I don't like my back to persons  because we should be speaking to the people that's   paying the money uh for the actually have to  address the chair when you Thank you so much,   Tony. Sure. One of my questions is I I keep  hearing about the Hebrew Academy. Um, my tax keep   going up, but I want to know, council person, do  they pay tax on Blanch? That is a question. I know  

you don't have the answer tonight. Seem like they  have a lot of voice. Um, all the years I've been   on Blanch, somebody's going to run into a serious  problem, Mr. Construction person, because it's   always been ponds back there. So, it's going to  be a very serious water problem back there. It's   going to exceed this federal grant trying to run  off all that water that's back there. They know   about that. Why isn't the safety forces part of  this meeting? Because certainly if we're bringing   in all of these new residents, we're going to need  to add to the fire department and to the police   department. Am I correct or not? plant neighbors.  Yes, they need to be part of this meeting also. So   that is a big concern of mine. And they're talking  about this one year abatement. One year. No,   no. For this noise level when they start, I want  to know that I'm going to be compensated. I have   been on this earth for close to 80 years. Believe  it or not, I'm close. Okay. Not far from 80 years   old. So, can't fool me about many things.  I'm sitting. I'm not saying much. Remember,   I told you I had a lot of questions I need to  talk to you personally about. We'll talk about   it later. Thanks, Tony. Tony knows me well. Yes,  I do. Thank you, Rita. Blue rea just blue red. I'm actually I just got more questions. My  name's Lou Redavoyovich, Middlehurst Road. Um,   one of it is the $850,000 grant coming from HUD. I  guess I'd like to know more about that grant know  

exactly whether that could be applied to different  parts of our city that could probably use it more   than this particular area. And then I look at  the dollar value that the city is looking to   spend. And from what I gather, it was 2.5 million  is what I've come across from the past data where   800,000 is part of the grant. That means that we  need to figure out 1.6 million as a city. And if   I heard the finance committee about a month ago, I  think you suggested that we really need to go on a   moratorum that we got like zero money to spend. We  even don't we don't have our our our rating. So,   I ask myself, is it make sense for us to  build basically a private driveway for   private development when we could take that  1.6 million? I'm guessing everybody behind me   and anybody listening would rather see 1.6 million  going to take care of our existing roads. I mean,   driving up here was pretty bad. Well, that  that's my take. And I I just look hearing   these folks here, I just feel like there's  there's a lot of questions out here. I mean,   I'd love to see a master plan of this  area. There's always little bits going on,   but I don't see a vision for these neighbors  here. You know, what's what's taking place? So,   I I think from the planning department, what's the  five-year vision? What's the 10-year vision? Show   us what you what you intend to do rather than  just these little pieces that take place. So,   again, I I think they deserve to see that,  you know, as neighbors. And um lastly,   I mean, I think that there's an element of just  seeing where there might be some gentrification   taking place here. You know, as existing  homeowners, you know, they've been here   for a long time. They they earned a stay here.  And you know, this might be textbook down the   road that we look back at urban studies that  this is a form of gentrification. Thank you, Amy Eugene.

Thank you. Um Amy Eugene Scarboro Road. I'm  going to need to go a little bit off script   because after what I've heard, um I just think  that moving this project forward is is um pretty   unconscionable, especially if you all say that you  haven't even known about it, but the developers   known about it for 3 years. Shantel Brown got a  grant for this city for $850,000 and you all don't   know about um this project. The other thing is why  like I I appreciate what Lou said, a driveway for   fancy new houses, but anyways um here's here's the  route that I was going to take. Um this project I   can see is a blessing for the health and vitality  of our tight-knit Orthodox Jewish community.   The thing to know, and you've heard me say before,  representation matters. And this is an example of   what can occur when there is representation  at the decision-making and leadership tables.   This project will enable a lovely avenue from one  Hebrew Academy site to the other in the elementary   school. I imagine the Hebrew Academy might one day  put a driveway out onto Andrews Road, creating a   flowing transportation pathway. According to  the county auditor's website, as of today,   22 of the 29 property parcels on this section  of Blanch are owned by the Hebrew Academy. So,   when we put all these things together along  with the recent houses of worship legislation,   it tells me that the Orthodox Jewish community  of Cleveland Heights knows how to get this   kind of stuff done. and representation  does matter. Lou talked about the plan  

for the city. I think that Cleveland Heights  needs to be privy to the master plan for the   Hebrew Academy given the land that they are  acrewing in Cleveland Heights. This is a list   as of today off the county auditor's website.  Cleveland Heights through Mr. Zamp's leadership,   Miss Cohen's leadership has demonstrated what  is possible for just this one neighborhood. So,   Mayor Councel, Mr. Zamp, Miss Cohen, I imagine  there are resources and relationships that you   have gained through this project that can be  leveraged to improve the health and vitality   of other Cleveland Heights neighborhoods in need.  And wouldn't that also be a blessing? Once again,   this is why representation at the leadership  and decisionmaking tables matters. Without it,   decisions get made and people get left out  and get negatively impacted. Thank you, Robin Koslin. I got the Robin Kaslin. Um, I  live on Wood Road, which is in the neighborhood,   but maybe a neighborhood adjacent. I would  like to address CRAAS. And I'm just so angry   right now that the more you give tax abatement  to individuals, the more I have to pay and the   more the rest of us have to pay. And I'm just  angry. um your CRA uh whatever paperwork has to   be totally reviewed so it's to the benefit  of the community. I thought it was really   interesting that the forecast started at 10 years  and then 20 years and the 30 years because if you  

give 75% tax abatement those first 10 years mean  you're getting excuse I almost used bad language   incredibly little. We have a school system  that needs to be funded and that's my job. I   don't have children going to the public schools  anymore and that just doesn't matter. But we as   a community are supposed to each pay our fair  share. If you keep allowing others not to pay,   that means the rest of us have to pay more. And  I think you seriously need to look at all the   policies that are allowing many you know what in  the neighborhood. I've been been look canvasing   the Kyahaga County website. There's a house  that sold for $844,000 that has been assessed at   $500 a year. Help me with this. You got to help me  because I live in a very modest home and I don't   begrudge my taxes. I want to do the best I can  for the kids in my public schools, but I want all   of us to do it. And so look at the bigger picture  right now. Quit giving abatement to others. We're   not benefiting it from you. Individuals are  benefiting. The community is not. Thank you, Lee Roth. All right, I just have a little picture here for a  park, potential park. Um, dear Cleveland Heights   city leaders and dear neighbors and KZ developer.  My name is Lee Roth and I live on Blanch. My   family brought bought our house on Blanch in  1972. My mom chose it because of the dead end   and we kids loved playing in the field and seeing  the neighboring golf course green space. And if   any of you know anything about Oakwood, that's  where Paul Newman used to play. So, it's quite  

an interesting place. I would like to tell you a  little bit about our neighborhood and then I would   like to make a couple suggestions if this is to  go forward. Um, so even today we see kids playing   at the end of our our dead end at Blanch. We plant  flowers. We clean up the dead end portion because   the city doesn't maintain it. The current owners  don't maintain it. So, it's left to us at Blanch   to do it right at near our end. Obviously, we have  homeowners here who make a beautiful backyard.   by the way, uh, behind Banebridge. Um, our  multicultural, multi-generational diverse   neighborhood is some of the densest in Cleveland  Heights. Our people per square mile is 35% higher   than the average in Cleveland Heights. That means  more houses, more people, and less space for green   space. Unfortunately, our tract, which is  1409 in Kyogre County, if you look it up,   is one of the least canopy tree canopy tracks in  Cleveland Heights at 10%. And that was also noted   by your resiliency director in a recent grant from  the Coyote County. Along with the Blanch extension   project, there are many projects that have already  moved trees from our neighborhood like the Walmart   development and there's many more to come. Your  severance project has indicated that you're going   to put streets through there. That's going  to remove trees. It's going to put more cutth   through into our very, very busy neighborhood.  Our neighborhood has large families, the elderly,   and everyone in between. and trees and green space  are healthy and econ economically important. Econ,   did I say it right? Economically important for any  neighborhood where the city and the land owners   may see development opportunities in our green  space. We ask that you see Cleveland Heights,   Virgin Forests, and lightly developed green  spaces as a key part of the affforementioned   health and value of our neighborhoods. The value  of Milicanin and Blanch neighborhood is tied to   our green space and our multiple deadends as  it created stability and ownership. So, no,   we have a lot of deadends. Um, and that really  makes it very viable and really people want to  

live there because it's quiet on the dead ends.  But the rest of our neighborhood is a a track   race and cars coming through all the time. So,  we talked about generational wealth and there   is this issue in that neighborhood is if we take  that away from people who have maintained their   homes. These are middle inome to low-income  people who have passed along their homes to   um their other generations. Now, for the  suggestions, if we go ahead with the blanch   extension, I'm suggesting we don't do the cut  through. What we didn't see um in the project,   and I'm going to go over, but there's a curve in  the road, people. This is not good because there   wasn't enough room to go through the room, the  road curves. This could be a traffic hazard. So,   what we'd want to do is maybe not let it come  through there and just come through Andrews and   Maple. All right. Thank you. Thank you, Lee.  Your time's help. I'm going to I'm going to   have to have my husband read the rest. Thank you.  Good thing. All right. You better read this part. That's good. Oh, and I'm willing to help with  anything, you know, whether it's your thing is   your design. Anra Robinson. I'm sorry. Robinson.  Oh, I I didn't hear the first name. Sorry if I   mispronounced. Is it Anedra? Anidra. Anidra.  Sorry. Anidra. Hi, my name is Anidra Robinson.   I live at 3711 Blanch Avenue. Um, I've been there  for 19 years. Um, pretty much my comments are a   repeat of what you already heard. I did write some  concerns down. Um, especially where we discussed   the disruption of our neighborhood. Um, we were  already getting used to the idea of just having   the plaza out there with the Walmart and all that.  The traffic that comes through there is crazy. We  

never had that amount of traffic. I raised a  daughter in the area and she had a fine time   playing there with no traffic, but now the traffic  is crazy as it is. Um, there's no stopping at any   stop signs over there. The police don't come over  there and police unless we call and badger them.   So, they definitely need to be in on this project  because somebody's going to need to be out there.   Um, just the noise alone from the traffic  that's already coming through there. We build   more houses there. There's more noise there.  There's more hanging out there. There's more   um things that we just don't trash. like we we  you want to have these fancy houses out there, but   who's out there to pick up the trash and all that  besides myself and Miss Rita who live out there   right now? It's already an issue. Um and then the  bad roads is is already an issue as well. There's   a big hole right in front of my house right now.  They come out there and they fill it in and then   by the next summer it's already back there. Um now  that too. Okay. And so, so even in the dead end,   it's a track race right now because I live at the  intersection of River and Blanch. And right now,   it's a track race. The people do not stop at  that stop sign ever. They just fly through   there. I almost got hit today picking up trash  on the street. I walked out and went to pick up   uh the trash across the street at my neighbor's  house and a van ran straight past me and almost   hit me. So, I'm very concerned about opening  up that road to more traffic, more houses,   more congestion. It's bad enough as it is already.  And I think the people deserve to have a voice.   I didn't know anything about this before the  last within the last year. And like I said,   I've been here 19 years. So, the fact that  somebody knows about it three years before  

we even get or two at least two years before we  even hear rumor about it is very concerning to me.   and I planned to retire and live out  the rest of my days on Blanch Avenue,   but I don't see that happening if this project  takes place. So, that's all I have to say. Amen. Cindy Carol Pankerst, I got nothing. Jim Yoler, thanks. Before I start, if I could have  the slide go back to I think it was yours   that had the map. Who had the map? There  we are. It's one of the earlier slides. One more. One more. Right there. All right. Um  I'm Jim Muler. There you go. 3691 Blanch. Um   in a previous life I was a naval officer where  we learned early on uh in a nuclear power plant   the first accident is the last accident so you  don't have any accidents. This is how I feel very   strongly about the Orthodox community. On Friday  nights in December the families are walking around   especially in snow. They walk in the street. one  distracted driver, one drunk driver that takes   out a family and that's the last accident.  I think the Orthodox community will wake up,   recognize that maybe it's not so safe here,  and leave. That would be a tragedy. I think   this plan will just aggravate that problem. So  my obligatory statement here given that trees and   green space increased property values whether for  new or existing development including green space  

designed in all Cleveland Heights urban designs  is a good financial business transaction for   the city. I'd like to suggest a pocket park  be created in the new development. Really,   there should be a planning design rule in Claven  Heights that all developments hold 10 to 15%   of the design for public green space, especially  when never developed green space is being removed.   Cleveland Heights owns two properties within  the Blanch extension. And I suggest that they   trade the Hebrew Academy for two of their lots  nearest the the original Blanch neighborhood.   and uh my wife and I are are free to  help uh with any further um input. Now,   what I'd suggest I I'm going to have to go up to  the map here. Well, nobody can hear you if you   don't talk on the mic. You can repeat what I'm  saying. Oh, jeez. Got a job now. You take the   hand. We're going to cut through. I suggest you  make this road a dead end. All right. So, he says,   "Cut through and make which road a dead end?" Rev.  A dead end. Dead end. All right. It's already a   mess. River. Cut that traffic off if you're going  to increase this traffic. All right. He said it's   already a mess and you got to cut that off to  make it work. Yeah. You you you you have to make a   dead end somewhere. You're taking away a dead end.  Create another one. That's right. Okay. Thank you. This is the last one. Zenobia sheets. Good evening, Zenobia Sheets Leuca Heights  area. Um, I am coming to speak about the  

abatement portion of it. I'm hearing that tiffs  is like the new financing model for developers and   unfortunately it's not like welcomed amongst  all residents and it's kind of removing our   informed rights to you know change our financial  economic layouts within our homes. um these   private developers are receiving public funds for  personal gain and it's not a good financial plan   ultimately. Um my personal taxes for my home which  is less than an acre parcel went from $6,000 to   $10,000. That's a lot. Um, and I am funding  private developers that definitely have the   money, have the assets or the potential to  gain their own uh financial layouts. So,   we have to find another financing model for some  of these um projects. That's a lot. Um, secondly,   are we able to as a city, now whether you choose  to share it publicly or not, that's that's your   own discretion. Are we able to look at a map of  the spending to make sure that these developments,   these investments and so forth on are being made  equitably throughout the city? When you look at   the current proposals for the CDBG in which this  um sewer project is mislabeled as youth services   and we're now hearing that this is actually  a sewer project for a private developer. Um,   you know, it it just it's not a good look. And  I mean, I love the city. I want to stay here. I   want to be able to continue to be an asset  where I can. However, we have to actually   work in good faith and work together in good  faith if possible. So, that's all. Thank you.

All right. Uh, did uh, council have any questions   or comments to make? I I I  have one comment. Um, and I I am truly I I'm a little bit overcome, so I  apologize, but Amy Eugene's comments were so   offensive to me just now. They are the same theme  of Natalie McDaniel's anti-Semitic comments about   me that I didn't know about until a year later.  And now I just had to sit here and see it,   hear it spoken to my face. The idea that there  is some sort of Orthodox Jewish conspiracy here   in this city to only serve the small part of  the city where we live is so utterly offensive   to me. I have given over 13 years of my time  and energy to this city for the entire city.   And the fact that someone would stand here and say  that to my face and that my neighbors because you   are my neighbors because I lived on Beanbridge  Road for 14 years and I live now on Sever would   sit here and clap. I am beside myself and and if  Director Zamp was here, I'm sure he would be as   offended as I am. So I just wanted to have that  be said. I I ran for this to serve this entire   city. This entire city. And any accusation to the  contrary is deeply anti-semitic, deeply offensive,   and plays on Jewish global conspiracy canards  that Jews have had to face for thousands of years.   And I will not sit up here on the deis without  speaking up to share how upsetting this is to me.  

and to name it for what it is. Thank you. Thank  you, Councilwoman. Um, Councilwoman Stone or do it   foy. I'm Is there anything from you either either  of you? I don't have anything. Thanks. No, thank   you. All right. Just wanted to make sure we're  including Yes. May I? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Please.   Wait. Councilman Posh. Oh, we want He wants He  wants you to go first. I always thought the mayor   should go first before a council person, but it  was council comments. So, I I am happy for you to   go first, but if you would like, you know, what  I love is how polite we are now. This is that's   that's just thrills me. So, there's there's a lot  of stuff that's really new as you mentioned. So,   I do have a lot of questions. Uh I think that the  the biggest one is to get the questions answered   that the the public has mentioned. Um, and I would  assume staff is going to be working on those and   would have um a time where they will share that  with council and public. Um, well, I will tell   you what I'd like to do is put this on the agenda  for April 6th for committee of the whole. I mean,   I don't want to do it without staff saying yes,  we could be there and and address some of these   things. But, I mean, if we have time for it,  then that's good. But, I mean, I do think we   need time for something like this. And the reason  I bring that up is because because our clerk of   council is going on vacation next week. We  are meeting tomorrow to set the agenda. So,   uh, mayor, maybe we can talk about this after  the, you know, about this about staffing that   particular meeting. Um, and go ahead, mayor. Um,  thank you. I um as staff mentioned earlier, we're   going to put together an FAQ. Um I think that  there are a lot of really important clarifications   for us to make about whether city money would be  going into it, whether the grant could be used for  

other projects. So we'll uh yes, so we will uh put  all of that together and try to answer all of the   questions that were asked tonight and get that out  to folks. Um, and I'm happy to try to do that in   advance of the next meeting so that answers could  be discussed in the committee of the whole. Um, I   just like to also share that I was disappointed by  some of the comments that were made tonight. Um,   I have really appreciated having a chance to work  with Jessica Cohen. Um, she is undoubtedly one of   the hardest working people I have ever met. Um,  whatever it is, she is eager and willing to lend a   hand. Whether that is calling legislators, trying  to help us get more funding for our city or trying   to improve privacy protections for residents,  whatever it may be, she is always willing to help   us. And like she said, she has served our city for  over a decade on various boards and commissions.   And so I am very grateful for her service and uh  totally support her. Thank you. Well, I just to   in closing, I just want to thank everybody who was  here tonight. We're always glad to have you here.   We want to hear what you have to say. Um, we're  getting some of the information that we got today   was the same information that you were getting for  the first time today. Um, we're in a sense at the   beginning of this. I I understand that things have  been rumbling around about this private property   for years, but frankly, we basically knew what  you knew. uh that you know th those that little   um kind of scenario about the congresswoman um  securing the funds. We found that out in an e   newswsletter, you know, that was put out a year  and a half ago or what have you. Um and so on. Um,  

I also want to say this. Um, I am convinced. I  mean, this doesn't mean you have to be convinced,   but I am convinced that everybody here absolutely,  and I I almost hate to say it this way,   but absolutely, including Councilwoman Cohen, is  capable of um serving this entire community. We   get elected at large, and that is our job. And I  would not work with somebody at least not if I had   a choice if I didn't believe firmly that everybody  on this dis and on Zoom uh can uh represent this   entire city. Uh there will be lots more coming.  We will interact with the administration. A lot of   good points were brought up today about uh a lot  of concerns were brought up today that we want to   address and get more information about and you can  uh make sure you do that. Our next meeting again   is April 6th and we please look on the website  for the agenda because it will say Blanch Avenue   discussion if we're going to do it. I can't  I can't make the agenda up right on the spot,   but please if you're uh make sure you're on the  city e newswsletter. Um is there a do you know it   off the top of your head? Uh the uh you just go on  the website to get the e newswsletter um emailed   to you? I could look it up to see how people can  subscribe because that's very important as this is   put out every Friday. And uh I'm going to adjourn  this meeting. at 7:32. Thank you again for coming.