INNERBELT SAGA

 

   W. 14th going toward Abbey, my rowhouse on other side of fence at right, exit ramp from I-90 West on left.

Post 5 of a series.

Craig Hebebrand started out by asking me what I wanted, and I reminded him that he asked for the meeting to discuss my concerns. He sat down briefly but then came over and stood by me to show me a drawing, which looked just ike the one I'd been sent previously. Then Kristen stood up for some reason and never sat down, so I had two people looming over me. She might have been worried about dog hair, but I had spent the morning washing all the throws on the sofa and chairs so they would be clean for my visitors.

This email was sent immediately after our meeting.

From: Craig [dot] Hebebrand [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us

Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2011 2:08 PM

To: A L Hinkle Cc: cfarroll ; Jocelynn [dot] Clemings [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us ; joecimperman ; Brown, Robert ; chrisgarland [at] tremontwest [dot] org ; kristentrolio [at] tremontwest [dot] org ; Jocelynn [dot] Clemings [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us ; cfarroll [at] hntb [dot] com ; Kathy [dot] Sarli [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us ; Jason [dot] Wise [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us ; Mark [dot] Carpenter [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us

Subject: Innerbelt Bridge Design 

Dear Ms. Hinkle:

It was a pleasure to meet you today. I appreciate your taking time to share your concerns.

With respect to noise walls, Tremont has requested, and the City of Cleveland has concurred, that no noise wall will be constructed as part of either the first or second bridge project. In lieu of noise walls, vegetative screening will be provided. I will advise the design team for the second (eastbound) bridge about your concerns regarding the use of maple trees due to the nusicance that they create.

With respect to the proposed parking lot, it will be located under the eastbound and westbound bridges, which will be separated from West 13th Place by the existing West 14th Street and the new entrance ramp from West 14th Street to I-90 Eastbound.

I will also advise the design team about your concerns regarding the need for a sidewalk access along West 14th St between Abbey Avenue and Fairfield Avenue. (During our visit, he had said flatly that "there will be" a sidewalk there.)

If you have any questions regarding either the first or second bridge project, please do not hesitate to ask.

Respectfully,

* * * * *

From: A L Hinkle

Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 6:36 AM

To: joecimperman; Brown, Robert

Subject: Fw: Innerbelt Bridge Design JUST what our overburdened sewer system doesn't need!

I am NOT a happy camper! Did you notice that he said SECOND bridge, not the first. It is the first that is scheduled to plant 85 different maples within a mile of my house, 85 time the mess you see below for me to try to clean up, bend over to pull seedlings up which is physically difficult.

They get slippery, and I could fall trying to walk here. This picture is AFTER the street sweeper came by. I'm sure the street sweepers won't like the street to have 85 times the blanket they do now. You know it swept some into the sewer at the intersection.

 

When some forestry people were out about dead limbs in front of my house I mentioned the choice of maples. They shook their heads and said sadly that no one ever asks them, the people who are out in the field dealing with problems daily. Mr. Hebebrand mentioned the difficulty of finding trees that would survive a long time. The maple may not be the best choice for that, since red maples form the bulk of plantings but are sensitive to road salt and drought, and tend to create a mass of roots and possible sidewalk heaving. Yet they are to be planted.

And in a Delaware Center for Horticulture publication I found, as well as the information on the maples, several other trees mentioned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: Brown, Robert

Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 5:27 PM

To: 'Craig [dot] Hebebrand [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us' ; A L Hinkle

Cc: cfarroll ; Jocelynn [dot] Clemings [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us ; joecimperman ; chrisgarland [at] tremontwest [dot] org ; kristentrolio [at] tremontwest [dot] org ; Jocelynn [dot] Clemings [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us ; cfarroll [at] hntb [dot] com ; Kathy [dot] Sarli [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us ; Jason [dot] Wise [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us ; Mark [dot] Carpenter [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us

Subject: RE: Innerbelt Bridge Design

Craig, thank you for taking the time to meet with Ms. Hinkle at her house. I see in your email below that you note that you will share Ms. Hinkle’s concerns about the maple trees with regard to the second (eastbound) bridge. What about for the first (westbound bridge) construction? Also, do you want the City’s Urban Forester to weigh in about practical alternatives to maple trees in this situation?

Robert N. Brown, Director

Cleveland City Planning Commission

rbrown [at] city [dot] cleveland [dot] oh [dot] us

* * * * *

From: Craig [dot] Hebebrand [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us

Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 7:55 AM

To: Brown, Robert

Cc: A L Hinkle ; cfarroll ; chrisgarland [at] tremontwest [dot] org ; Jason [dot] Wise [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us ; Jocelynn [dot] Clemings [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us; joecimperman ; Kathy [dot] Sarli [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us ; kristentrolio [at] tremontwest [dot] org ; Mark [dot] Carpenter [at] dot [dot] state [dot] oh [dot] us

Subject: RE: Innerbelt Bridge Design

Bob,

At this time we do not anticipate making any revisions to the westbound tree selection, however, we would certainly welcome the City's input with respect to alternates to Maple trees.

Thank you,

* * * * *

From: Brown, Robert

Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2011 3:31 PM

To: A L Hinkle ; joecimperman

Cc: Cantor, George ; Hunt, Trevor ; Frantz, Scott ; Danek, James ; Chris Garland (chrisgarland [at] twdc [dot] org)

Subject: RE: Innerbelt Bridge Design JUST what our overburdened sewer system doesn't need!

Dear Ms. Hinkle:

After reading your email, I contacted Craig Hebebrand and, after thanking him for meeting with you at your home, I asked him about the proposed tree plantings related to the first bridge. He said that ODOT was open to planting trees other than maples but would want input from the City and the City's urban forester. I will solicit that input. I will update you when I have new information. Thanks again for taking the time to share your insights on this matter.

Robert N. Brown, Director

Cleveland City Planning Commission

601 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114

rbrown [at] city [dot] cleveland [dot] oh [dot] us

* * * * *

I prepared one of my detailed emails to list other things that came up during the meeting. My initial memo was about using rugosa roses, with low growing herbs and self seeding annuals, so mowing would not be needed, from Fairhill down to Abbey in front of my rowhouse. That isn't mentioned in his email. I had to bring it up during the meeting.

He said he'd "mention" it to his horticultural people not his design team (hopefully he meant horticulturists on the design team, although so far it doesn't seem that they have one). Not a strong recommendation, which is what I want. (Everyone seems to have delegated landscaping to me on my street.) There are only eight residences. Why shouldn't we get to decide for ourselves, with horticultural input, it sounded as though the Starkweather area residents got to decide. I would like to get him to commit to having their horticulturists talk to me, if not meet with me.

At the last minute he emailed that he was bringing Kristen Trollo along, whose contributions had nothing to do with my concerns listed in the email.

* * * * *

From: A L Hinkle

To: Brown, Robert

Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 6:33 AM

Subject: Re: Innerbelt Bridge Design JUST what our overburdened sewer system doesn't need!

Dear Director Brown,

You are an absolutely wonderful advocate for this concerned resident living very near the bridge. I would lost without you. Your good help is very much appreciated.

For your information, other topics touched on or not were:

There will be landscaping on my side of W. 14th.

He said he will "pass on" to the horticulture area my strong desire for rugosa roses from Fairfield to Abbey. He did not commit to having them talk to me directly, which I would prefer.

We didn't discuss the underplanting, of low growing herbs and a few perennials and annuals that would reseed such as those I've planted under the billboard on Abbey (alyssum, nigella or "Love Lies Bleeding") so that there would soon be no need to mow.

The (is it still only proposed? so glad) parking lot will be shielded from W. 13th PL and eastbound W. 14th by a very high mound of dirt like the one there now. We didn't discuss its landscaping, which will be "better."

I never asked before: is there going to be a charge for parking there? And what is the purpose of the parking lot? Currently the parking under the bridge is big rigs connected to the building that will be torn down, (I have been told that prostitutes work there), Sokolowski overflow, Gateway Cruse for the Critters overflow and those who don't want to pay to park closer during the Greek Orthodox festival.

He did not comment on my suggestion that the trees be planted in curves rather than rigid, straight lines.

There will be seats, so that it will be possible for those coming back heavily laden with shopping from the West Side Market can stop to rest and enjoy the vista.

There will be a sidewalk along W. 14th, so people can safely walk to the bus The Greek Orthodox Church gets to keep the public right-of-way sidewalk they arbitrarily closed.

Unfortunately, and he implied that this was because so much land will be cut away, there will be no place for off road parking so that families cannot pull in with small ones in their jammies in the back seat to watch the fireworks. Instead they will have to park in the parking lot and cross the street. And yet according to the PLAIN DEALER, http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/07/gateway_animal_clinic_in_tremo.html Gateway Animal Clinic will move because some residents complained about having to cross Abbey from a parking area originally on that side of the bridge.

The Ohio Department of Transportation initially thought that the clinic, on Abbey Avenue at West 15th Street, could be accommodated when the new five-lane bridge is built north of the current Inner Belt Bridge and the Abbey Avenue exit ramp is expanded.

Although the clinic would have lost some of its parking to the bridge project, ODOT planned to build a lot on the other side of Abbey Avenue. But Tremont residents expressed concerns about having to cross the busy road to get to the clinic.

That was, by the way, a very narrow group of residents, not an open, advertised, public forum, because at the time those of us that use Gateway were still wondering what would happen to it. And measures are being taken to "calm" Abbey, so it won't be such a busy street.  I've never considered it a particularly busy street to begin with, and I do have to cross the street to walk my dogs up the street to Gateway.

Kristin contributed that Abbey will be much improved, Craig will be attending block club meetings, and other public meetings, and promised to convey to Scott my suggestion that the agenda for block clubs be published in advance so that one can see whether there is a topic of interest. Evidently he didn't think much of the suggestion because I still haven't seen any agendas published, although I get a postcard a few days before my area's block club meeting mentioning what will be discussed..

I contributed that in the block club for my own area, I would not be able to vote, since new rules now require you to attend three consecutive meetings (3 out of 12 prior meetings now) to be a voting member, thus effectively disenfranchising me from voting on a matter of interest to me as a homeowner and resident, if the clubs continue to be allowed approval of such matters. (I definitely would not want them to have approval of landscaping along W. 14th between Fairfield and Abbey, as TWDC would no doubt prefer!!!!)

Happily, I think I heard that they no longer can waive code. This enormous, rumored-to-be-$3-million home going up near me I was dismayed to see is much too near to the home next to it.

March 27 Director Brown replied that:

The purpose of the parking lot is to handle parking for festivals and events in Tremont and possibly for valet parking. The lot will probably be operated by Tremont West (although I don't know if that is determined finally). And, yes, our urban forester did give some feedback to ODOT. Feel free to email directly to Craig Hebebrand at ODOT and James Lassiter, Cleveland's urban forester (jlassitger [at] city [dot] cleveland [dot] oh [dot] us).

To be continued.

 

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