Trailer Park theme for beer garden - this is real

[Dan Alaimo]

Here's an idea for the beer garden: a trailer park theme.
Rochester Beer Park, located at the corner of Averill and South Clinton avenues, resembles a vintage trailer park and features 60 beers on draft.
https://on.rocne.ws/2LQ5QBg

[michael gill]

This is also real:

The planning commission will meet to talk about the beer garden and food truck court tonight at 7 pm.

There are several ways in which this proposal directly violates the city's regulations for outdoor dining.

Here's one:

At the first ABR meeting over the proposal, there was another item on the docket. Sign Review was looking at a proposed replacement for the sign in front of the plaza at Northland and Madison. Their sign included logos for each of the businesses in the plaza. They were small logos to fit the space on a relatively small sign, but they were in different colors.

The sign review board made them come back with a new, monochrome design listing all the businesses in shades of black and grey on a white background.

Meanwhile, the city's regulations for outdoor dining say this (quoting from regs posted on onelakewood.com):

No Advertising on Umbrellas, Furniture, or barriers, including logos, graphics, or names.

Yet this proposal would bring four food trucks to the beer garden every day on a rotating basis. Food trucks are designed as garishly as carnival rides. They are billboards for themselves. They are clearly a violation of this regulation, and a negation of the work the sign review committee does month after month, year after year.

These billboards are built into the proposal at hand. I can't think of any place apart from highways where billboards are permitted to be clustered like this, and I can hardly think of anything more ugly or less visually attractive in a city of homes. The city would have no control over this.

[Bridget Conant]

Michael

Have you contacted your councilperson?

What has their response been?

From what I hear, there is activity against this proposal from residents. Does your councilperson plan to help their constituents?

[michael gill]

Hi Bridget,

yes, we have been in touch with councilors, and David Anderson has been thoroughly engaged and is representing neighborhood concerns. We also have dialog with the rest of council.

[Bridget Conant]

Michael

That’s good to hear. Thanks for the info!

[Bridget Conant]

Any report on the meeting?

[Kate McCarthy]

It passed through the planning commission despite the proposed changes being half-baked at best. I hate to recall incorrectly but David Anderson raised many good issues and did note the proposed parking partner has had issues in the past. Both Meghan George and Tristan Rader urged caution but to no avail. The planning department was oddly uninformed but in the age of Trump does that matter? Sylvester in the pre-meet said the CVS at 117th was a classic example of mixed use which was news to all of us that recalled a restaurant was there before and there was none of this mixed use nonsense associated with that property. Pointing that out earlier didn't prevent him from raising it again later. And the woman who ran the meeting presented lots of incorrect information. For example, the old Hall House was office space and the McClure Court townhomes were apartments. And in 2002 the area was full of "notorious bars". In 2002 she was at most 12 so probably was fed this nonsense by our resident Trump.

Hate to be so cynical since I think Dan Deagan made an effort to listen and probably in the end got a much better design. I just feel it's still too big for the location and the city doesn't seem to do any impact studies at all. Since Detroit is gridlock, I anticipate lots more traffic on my street. Perhaps we will need chicanes or some other band aid for the city's half-baked approach to economic development.

[michael gill]

Thanks for reporting on this, Kate, and thanks to all my neighbors for their involvement. Thanks also to Council reps Anderson, Rader, and George, who had good questions representing neighborhood concerns.

I had to leave early (after 2 hours) to pick up my daughter, who was at an orchestra rehearsal in Cleveland. So I didn't hear most of the responses to questions, and didn't hear the approval firsthand.

I appreciate some changes that were made to the proposal, including moving the building to use it as a buffer, adding a parking lane as an additional buffer, removing the projection TV, and scaling the seating back 20%.

Several people, including council reps and staff from the Rec Department, expressed safety concerns relative to having a tee ball field across the street from a beer garden that also serves ice cream. My own concern with that related to the proposal's inclusion of an entrance halfway down the lot on Detroit, across from the park, which will encourage jaywalking from the tee ball field. The city's own regulations for outdoor dining prohibit multiple entrances (which this proposal has) but absolutely none of those regulations seem to apply in this case. I was startled to hear a member of the planning commission respond to those concerns by saying that the city should consider moving the tee ball games. To finish the implication: Move tee ball games rather than impact the ability to sell beer. That was our Planning Commission.

I understand there were multiple conditions imposed, but as I said, I had to pick up my daughter, so I don't yet know what all those conditions are.

[Mark Kindt]

The next logical step for concerned residents is to consult with and obtain the appropriate legal counsel.

I would encourage them to make outreach to Attorney Ben Ockner. He has successfully litigated zoning issues against the City of Lakewood.

Here's the website link:

http://bernsockner.com/

The sooner the better.

The City of Lakewood will not protect your interests as residents when it comes to the steam-roller of economic development.

[Bridget Conant]

I was startled to hear a member of the planning commission respond to those concerns by saying that the city should consider moving the tee ball games. To finish the implication: Move tee ball games rather than impact the ability to sell beer. That was our Planning Commission.

A startling comment, but not in Lakewood.

Only in Lakewood does a quest to be the HEALTHIEST CITY IN AMERICA mean closing playgrounds, removing b-ball hoops, and dismissing the importance of youth sports in deference to MORE BARS.

[Michael Deneen]

A startling comment, but not in Lakewood. Only in Lakewood does a quest to be the HEALTHIEST CITY IN AMERICA mean closing playgrounds, removing b-ball hoops, and dismissing the importance of youth sports in deference to MORE BARS.

One thing I've learned over the past 15 years in Lakewood....this community has a very low regard for its children, particularly in the area of recreation.

[Matthew Lee]

One thing I've learned over the past 15 years in Lakewood....this community has a very low regard for its children, particularly in the area of recreation.

Quite a sweeping statement, wouldn't you say? Really? Lakewood has a "very low regard for its children"? Could you please provide many examples?

As someone who raised their child in Lakewood, I couldn't say your statement is farther from the truth. Are there aspects of Lakewood that are not child friendly? Sure. But to say the community has very low regard for children is disingenuous at best.

To name just a few areas where Lakewood shows regard for children:
* The Lakewood Park just got overhauled due to family concerns over the part that was built in the early 2000s.
* School district is incredible and bonds/levys get passed to improve and keep up the great work of the faculty and administration there.
* Lakewood Rec Department has numerous opportunities year-round for kids of all ages to participate in a variety of activities.
* The library continues to be a child friendly area.
* Two city pools are available during the summer.
* Both the early PTA and the district wide PTA put on family friendly events year round : Meet The Trucks, Breakfast with the Bunnies, etc.
* Local donations pour in every year to Supplies for Success so that our disadvantaged students in the Lakewood area get the items they need to be successful at school.

I could go on with others but I strongly disagree that Lakewood shows "very low regard" for children. Just because Lakewood has bars does NOT mean there is a low regard for children. Just because one might disagree with the direction of the current administration does NOT mean there is a low regard for children in the community.

This community, as a whole, has a strong regard for it children and your statement couldn't be farther from the truth.

[Matthew Lee]

One thing I've learned over the past 15 years in Lakewood....this community has a very low regard for its children, particularly in the area of recreation.

Quite a sweeping statement, wouldn't you say? Really? Lakewood has a "very low regard for its children"? Could you please provide many examples?

As someone who raised their child in Lakewood, I couldn't say your statement is farther from the truth. Are there aspects of Lakewood that are not child friendly? Sure. But to say the community has very low regard for children is disingenuous at best.

To name just a few areas where Lakewood shows regard for children:
* The Lakewood Park just got overhauled due to family concerns over the part that was built in the early 2000s.
* School district is incredible and bonds/levys get passed to improve and keep up the great work of the faculty and administration there.
* Lakewood Rec Department has numerous opportunities year-round for kids of all ages to participate in a variety of activities.
* The library continues to be a child friendly area.
* Two city pools are available during the summer.
* Both the early PTA and the district wide PTA put on family friendly events year round : Meet The Trucks, Breakfast with the Bunnies, etc.
* Local donations pour in every year to Supplies for Success so that our disadvantaged students in the Lakewood area get the items they need to be successful at school.

I could go on with others but I strongly disagree that Lakewood shows "very low regard" for children. Just because Lakewood has bars does NOT mean there is a low regard for children. Just because one might disagree with the direction of the current administration does NOT mean there is a low regard for children in the community.

This community, as a whole, has a strong regard for it children and your statement couldn't be more incorrect.

[Bill Call]

You can read the rule book, quote the law, have conversations with your Councilman and have discussions with the Mayor and at the end of the day you will have a beer garden with food trucks and 100 beer drinkers cruising your neighborhood.

The only way to avoid that is to make your precinct dry.

[Michael Deneen]

Quite a sweeping statement, wouldn't you say? Really? Lakewood has a "very low regard for its children"? Could you please provide many examples?

Many citizens and community members care, but kids are obviously not a high priority for city leadership.
This is particularly true in the area of athletics and recreation, which I've been covering for 13 years for the Observer.

Here are a few examples off the top of my head:

*The ongoing fight over basketball hoops...this has been discussed at great length for many years.
*Neglect of many city parks. Although the city pumped money into Lakewood Park, I've heard many complaints from residents that swings and other playground equipment in other parks is in disrepair.
*It's no coincidence that the Solstice Steps -- Team Summers' "Pride and Joy" -- is geared toward adults, not kids.
*Our city's rec department has decayed badly over the past 15 years. Once a model organization, I've heard countless stories of disorganization, confusion, indifference, etc.
*The recent decision to turn our high school athletic facilities into a "community rec center". This takes a facility intended for youth (regardless of income) and turns it over to adults that have the ability to pay. I'm not aware of any other area high school that does this with its athletic facilities.
*Overall decay of the LHS Athletic programs. Students, coaches, and parents fight an uphill battle to be competitive....our city leadership, in particular the school board, doesn't give a hoot in hell.
*Remember the black kid that had her jaw broken at Madison Library?


If I had more time I could give you more...and I'm sure I can find lots of folks with stories to tell.
There are definitely many wonderful volunteers, parents, coaches, and concerned citizens that are trying to make things better....I'm blessed to know many of them through my Observer activity.
However, they are faced with leadership that does not share their values....and they know it.