Public Comment

Requesting to Re naming Payne Avenue would end the word being mistaken for torture/Pain Saken people. To put or leave people in pain is what torture is. People should get pain pills right away. People are scared to go to the shelter/waiting room because of the address Payne Ave. Thee tort laws can acknowledge pain pills freely given to people...pain pills isn't a drug and doesn't haze people. Thanking Council for acknowledging the request to re name payne ave.

My name is Airric Todd Stewart. I am aware that City Councilmembers will be reduced from 15 to 17 soon. I'm also aware that the geographic boundaries are going be reset. Please consider all that is available to us today that was not available in the past on moving the accurate assessment of the facts to constituents. I'm referencing taxpayer-funded resources ability to strengthen the voting bloc of a ward and negotiating the appeal of private residences and businesses. I believe at minimum this is how the Ward 1 boundaries should be set. Starting at East 131st and Cranwood, everything that is east that belongs to Cleveland up to East 131st and Union should be Ward 1. One block west of East 131st and Union is East 130th Street. Everything east of East 130th Street that is Cleveland should be Ward 1 to Buckeye. From East 130th and Buckeye everything north of that point below a straight aerial line and including all of Shaker Square should be Ward 1. From its furthest western point of Shaker Square using an aerial line everything that is east, that is Cleveland up to Fairhill should be Ward 1. The maximum consideration is probably highly unlikely under the current population requirements. However, the Ward population requirements should be adjusted. Twenty-five thousand (25,000) is a bad number for right now. It will be a bad number for decades to come. The maximum best idea for Ward 1 is as follows: Starting at MLK and Fairhill heading south everything east of that street up to Kinsman should be Ward 1. At some point East 116th Street becomes west of MLK. At that point heading south until reaching Calvary Cemetery, everything east of that should be Ward 1. Everything east of MLK should stay Ward 1 wherever MLK is until it reaches its furthest southern point in the city of Cleveland. Keep in mind I am aware that there are points where East 116th and MLK Boulevard switch positions. These decisions should be based on an aerial ride. The Council and Ward budgets can be better adjusted with 15 Wards in place of 17. A $6,585,790 can be divided by dived better by the Ward, Council, and the employees. Please take my request seriously. This should compel some questions from you. Recognize that I have taken multiple opportunities in times to study this matter. I can address any question that you pose to me or about this email to yourselves. This is to ALL of you; not just the Ward 1 Councilperson. I recognize the dilemma of city councilpeople who already have homes in their Wards where the new Ward 1 would be. That can be addressed reasonably.

I'm writing this comment about the CVS Building on Madison I think it would be a great idea to finally get rid of the vacant building. Everyone always says " change starts with the community "so lets make success here . It's time to embrace the change and welcome a new business no matter if it's a gas station or a food place or both. Also with all the kids that come and go from Cudell Rec Center they will have a place that's a lot closer and may have food and snacks in the establishment , if we work together we can't fail. Please lets welcome a new business and say goodbye to CVS. Thank you please consider my comment before making a decision.

You amendment that REQUIRES the ATM contract for City Hall can ONLY be awarded to a bank that has a CRA with the City of Cleveland is so short sighted. While I agree that any BANK should have a CRA, it fails to realize that many of the applicants for the contract would have been ATM OPERATORS, like me - a BLACK OWNED, FEMALE OWNED, CLEVELAND based ATM provider and servicer. This shooting from the hip that council CONTINUES to do, hurts ALL CLEVELANDERS! Shame on you!

As a concerned citizen deeply involved in public safety, economic stability and environmental welfare, I believe that we urgently need to revise our Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Our roads and highways are populated with vehicles that are too large (posing safety concerns) , too heavy (destroying our roads faster), and too inefficient (disproportionately contributing to climate change). Have you seen this petition yet? Revise CAFE Standards for Safer, More Efficient Non-Commercial Vehicles Please sign and share! - https://chng.it/qLV6GbLF7H Thank you, Stewart O'Marah

As a concerned resident, I strongly oppose Ordinance 791-2024, which seeks to rezone a parcel currently under the Pedestrian Retail Overlay (PRO) for general retail use, with present intent to allow a new gas station development. This site, adjacent to Marion C. Seltzer Elementary School and Cudell Commons Park, is incompatible with such a car-centric business, creating safety hazards for pedestrians, children, and cyclists. The gas station proposal disregards the long-term potential for sustainable, pedestrian-friendly development and ignores community feedback, which has been overwhelmingly against it. Both the Board of Zoning Appeals and the City Planning Commission have rejected this rezoning, and the ordinance risks setting a dangerous precedent for spot zoning that undermines the city’s planning efforts. The proposed gas station not only threatens to worsen traffic and pollution near a school and park but also compromises the future of this vibrant, transit-rich area, better suited for other development. I urge Council to respect the community's needs and vote against this short-sighted ordinance.

As a resident living within 600 feet of this site, I am writing to note my opposition to the proposed zoning change to rezone a parcel within a C2 Local Retail Business District as a General Retail district and remove the Pedestrian Retail Overlay District (PRO). I interact with this location multiple times per day as either a pedestrian accessing GCRTA service or as a cyclist. As with the gas station variance that was denied by the Board of Zoning Appeals on May 6, the current PRO exists to specifically prevent the types of use cases that this rezoning would allow and permitting this change would degrade the already dangerous conditions for pedestrians at this intersection. Additionally, allowing a car-centric business such as a gas station, car sales lots, and other uses that would become permitted by right would have negative implications for the streets leading to the site, as well as the adjacent Cudell Commons Park and Marion C. Seltzer elementary school. In fact, the US EPA school siting guidelines indicate that a gas station should not be within 1000 feet of schools. Marion C. Seltzer Elementary sits approximately 200 feet from this site Since prospective, car-centric uses for this parcel were introduced to the community in February, I have been dismayed at the overwhelming lack of engagement within the Cudell community. This site straddles the border between two wards and is primarily surrounded by Ward 15, while nearly all of the adjacent residents live within Ward 15. Aside from a neighborhood meeting hosted on March 21 in which the neighborhood was overwhelmingly opposed to car-centric land uses, there has been no willingness to engage with residents to discuss the proposed land use and/or zoning changes. This proposal to spot zone a parcel in an established PRO undermines the will of local residents as well as the recent progress made to establish the Transportation Demand Management zones (which this lot falls within) as well as the adjacent Form Based Code pilot area. Allowing car-centric uses in such a transit-rich location is shortsighted and runs counter to the City's goals of creating denser, sustainable communities. This location is well served by the Red Line, #18, #25, and #26 buses, the latter two being 24/7 service. Therefore, my opposition is strongly based in my belief that the proposed zoning change will have negative implications for the site and surrounding neighborhood, and would preclude this location from being used for a higher and better use for the foreseeable future. While the currently vacant building is not ideal, changing zoning to allow for the creation of a new brownfield is far worse. I understand the owner feels a gas station is necessary for a successful retail component, but any type of retail is going to be a challenge, regardless of whether it has a gas station attached to it or not. Additionally, according to the owner's representative at the February community meeting, there are no letters of interest or letters of commitment from the proposed tenants, meaning we have no sense of what would actually be in the development anyway. According to the 2017 NOACA Regional TOD Scorecard and Implementation Plan, this location is primed for residential and office development. Additionally, with the aforementioned transit connections that service this location, the lot is well suited to accommodate the growing market for different housing types . Both housing (10-20 units) with a minimum project value of $2M and/or smaller-scale Class A office/professional space would be a good, low-impact site uses that support a growing neighborhood. The current zoning was established to channel market forces into productive outcomes, and is is important to continue thinking strategically and longer-term instead of brute forcing this environmentally negative and short-sited plan.

I’m frustrated by the Councilman’s actions with regards to how he’s going about this development by going way out of his way to make this happen with a business use that has ZERO site compatibility. The adjacent lot is a school and park which is wholly incompatible with a gas station that will sell tobacco & alcohol. In addition, it will create heavy traffic by a school, park, & rec center where kids are walking. Why isn’t the councilman creating a vision for this larger site in the midst of a residential & commercial district that would have benefit to youth rather than aiming for the very lowest common denominator of business (gas & convenience) that will harm youth and likely harm future development potential of this site. Critical to note that Gas stations require underground storage tanks which often leak during their lifecycle thus requiring expensive clean-up before the site can be reused for another purpose. In summary, why is the Councilman thinking so short term with regard to this site when doing so will cause damage in the present & the future? Where is the vision for the community and our youth? Important to remember that this site is adjacent to the Tamir Rice Memorial which is roughly 150’ away. I ask again, why is this council person, a public servant, seem to be lacking any regard for the public/community/youth in this area (his ward tho he does not reside in his ward) This whole gas station idea seems to be entirely self serving, not the work of a public servant.

Councilperson Danny Kelly is fighting tooth and nail to site a gas station at the corner of West Blvd and Madison in Cudell, despite opposition from the community and being voted down by both the Board of Zoning Appeals AND the Planning Commission. This section of Madison is protected from certain undesirable uses -- like gas stations -- by a Pedestrian Retail Overlay, and has longer-term potential to become a vibrant and Complete & Green corridor. Councilperson Kelly is now trying to pass an ordinance through Council that would circumvent the PRO protection and allow "spot zoning" at this site, something that could set a really bad precedent and have negative consequences for sustainable and pedestrian-friendly development in neighborhoods across the city. Please respect the public trust, our community's longer-term needs, and this city's core values by voting against Ordinance 791-2024. Thank you.

Hello Council, Since I have not received any response to my most recent private email I have sent, I will write here as well. There is a growing number of community members and Ward 11 residents in active opposition to Ordinance 791-2024, which will change the Pedestrian Retail Overlay district code to general retail--allowing for a gas station to be developed. The PRO was put in place for a reason. Spot zoning sets a dangerous precedent in our city that any code put in place for the betterment of the city can be overturned simply because a council person decides it. The Board of Zoning Appeals and the City Planning Commission have rejected proposals to change the code on this lot, so to push it through, Danny Kelly has expressed intent to bring it to Council (Ordinance 791-2024) for a 2/3 majority vote to override it. If the experts of city planning in Cleveland have rejected the proposals for very valid reasons, it should not be forced through. This lot borders Cudell Park and Marion C. Seltzer Elementary. Adding a gas station will make the already dangerous intersection at West Blvd and Madison Ave more congested and dangerous. In addition, the emissions from the gas station are harmful to our youth and the affordable housing units neighboring the vacant lot. The attempts to push a gas station through on this lot is a blatant disregard for the community and its needs. Would a gas station even be proposed in a higher-income ward? Or are we simply too poor to influence politics in Cleveland? In short, please vote against Ordinance 791-2024 should it come to you. Thank you.