The Fork In The Road

The jumping off discussion area for the rest of the Deck. All things Lakewood.
Please check out our other sections. As we refile many discussions from the past into
their proper sections please check them out and offer suggestions.

Moderators: Jim DeVito, Dan Alaimo

Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Mark Kindt » Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:34 am

Mark Kindt wrote:
Mark Kindt wrote:Why has Lakewood adopted economic development policies that exclude the majority of residents from new luxury housing supported with major public assets, public funds, and public land?


I pose this question for those elected officials and candidates for Lakewood public office who run as Democrats or who run under Democratic Party or labor union endorsements.

Since Mr. Baker has previously responded to this question, I am not addressing this question to those who identify as either Republicans or Independents.

How and why did we cannibalize public health care assets for commercial development that no ordinary citizen of Lakewood can afford?

I'd really like to get some sense of how actual Democrats in office or running for office can explain this public policy goal and public policy outcome.


Obviously, the first answer will be in the "Dog ate my homework" category.

That is, the Clinic made us do it.

Well Democrats that answer can only go so far.

The Clinic did not make us tear down our hospital building, spend $7 million dollars of public money to clear the land and then donate the land to the developer for $1.00.

Democrats you did that on your own.

And, worse you have no explanation for the public policy goals or the public policy outcomes that can pass any smell-test on this.

Well, what's even worse is that the answer is just another "Dog ate my homework" answer.

That is, our former mayor made us do it.

Democrats, if we really tore down our hospital and gave the land away for $1.00 to benefit Mr. Fitzgerald's client, we should all just go home. As citizens, we are just wasting our time here.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Mark Kindt » Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:53 am

The Other Answer Is It's Always Secret

Regardless of Ohio law, Lakewood voters will never know what really went down, because it's always a secret.

Hundreds of pages of public documents are still "blacked-out" despite years of litigation against the city.

Good job, Democrats!


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Mark Kindt » Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:06 am

For 47 years, I have been proud to call myself a third-generation Democrat.

I have worked for Democratic Party candidates.

I have voted for Democratic Party candidates.

I have donated to Democratic Party candidates.

If I am to continue that way, I'd like to have an understanding why such poor policy outcomes are dropped on my doorstep every year.

Demolished hospital...

Inhumane jail conditions...

Insider development projects...

Mr. Anderson, Mr. Bullock, Mr. Litten, Mr. O'Leary, Mr. O'Malley can you even offer a reasonable argument? Some of you are running for election.
Last edited by Mark Kindt on Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Mark Kindt » Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:14 am

The Other Answer Is We Didn't Have An Alternative

Of course you had an alternative!

You have a planning department!

If you really thought it was important to proceed with a major commercial development downtown why not actually build it downtown?

You have a planning department!

You have eyes!

At any point, prior to giving away the hospital real estate for $1.00, you could have elected to build a commercial development at Warren North of Detroit.

West was the school board lot. East was the post office lot.

You simply had years to figure this out.

Instead you sacrificed about $200 million in public healthcare assets to build townhouses for the affluent and luxury apartments that no one can afford.

You guys have paid staff to actually think about this stuff. I don't.

No more excuses from Democrats.

Sure, you control the City. Sure, you control the County.

But to this third-generation public servant AND Democrat, you can't demonstrate that you can govern responsibly.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Mark Kindt » Mon Oct 21, 2019 10:14 am

Mark Kindt wrote:For 47 years, I have been proud to call myself a third-generation Democrat.

I have worked for Democratic Party candidates.

I have voted for Democratic Party candidates.

I have donated to Democratic Party candidates.

If I am to continue that way, I'd like to have an understanding why such poor policy outcomes are dropped on my doorstep every year.

Demolished hospital...

Inhumane jail conditions...

Insider development projects...

Mr. Anderson, Mr. Bullock, Mr. Litten, Mr. O'Leary, Mr. O'Malley can you even offer a reasonable argument? Some of you are running for election.


The Final Answer Is Always It's Not My Problem

My theme for the past three years has always been about the choices that we make in the realm of self-government.

Both Mr. O'Leary and Ms. George are running to be mayor of the third largest city in Cuyahoga County.

Have either of them spoken to the issue of the inhumane conditions at the county jail.

Rather than witness what are essentially intra-party electoral fights, most voters would like to see action on specific identified public problems.

We can ask these candidates and our local PAC "Lakewood Neighbors for Good Government", what they are actually doing to address the conditions at the county jail.

However, the current Mayoral election in Lakewood is solely about ensuring that the development of One Lakewood Place or other proposed developments do not suffer any inconvenient roadblocks.

The suffering of those who lost hospital charity care or the suffering of those incarcerated under inhumane conditions are truly secondary concerns in this election.

No, Democrats cannot let any reasonable argument or compassionate considerations stand in the way of the bulldozers in Lakewood.

What I find so distressing is that this is the next generation of Democratic Party leadership in truly sleazy dogfights -- Negative push-polls, personal harassment, etc.

---Pursuing policies that Democrats of my age or older would be embarrassed by.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Mark Kindt » Mon Oct 21, 2019 12:06 pm

Mark Kindt wrote:The Other Answer Is We Didn't Have An Alternative

Of course you had an alternative!

You have a planning department!

If you really thought it was important to proceed with a major commercial development downtown why not actually build it downtown?

You have a planning department!

You have eyes!

At any point, prior to giving away the hospital real estate for $1.00, you could have elected to build a commercial development at Warren North of Detroit.

West was the school board lot. East was the post office lot.

You simply had years to figure this out.

Instead you sacrificed about $200 million in public healthcare assets to build townhouses for the affluent and luxury apartments that no one can afford.

You guys have paid staff to actually think about this stuff. I don't.

No more excuses from Democrats.

Sure, you control the City. Sure, you control the County.

But to this third-generation public servant AND Democrat, you can't demonstrate that you can govern responsibly.


Not only are we building townhouses for the affluent and luxury apartments that no one afford, but we are building commercial space without occupants.

What is the point of having a planning department planning empty space, while the School Board is renovating one of its building to occupy for itself.

What is the point of having a planning department planning empty space, and then not planning for public-sector occupants.

Remember that One Lakewood Place has just sucked-up about $30,000,000 in public subsidies and has no discernible public purpose at all.

What is the point of having a planning department that could plan for community healthcare needs, but instead relies upon private entities to decide how approx. $70,000,000 in funds associated with public health should be parked on Wall Street and dribble out some tiny grants that sort of benefit the community.

Get my point, Democrats?


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Mark Kindt » Mon Oct 21, 2019 12:38 pm

Am I Conflating Unrelated Issues?

The next objection that I might hear is that I am conflating unrelated issues between Lakewood and the County.

So, regardless of who is elected Mayor of Lakewood in 2019, that official then becomes a likely candidate for a future County Administrator election.

Thus, inhumane conditions at the County Jail are relevant in this election.

Especially considering that the official spokesperson for the County on the jail issue is now meddling in this race with her "good government" PAC presumably favoring one of the candidates.

Readers of the Deck and the Plain Dealer also know that when attorneys have tried to dig into public documents in either Lakewood or at Cuyahoga County, they discover missing documents or unavailable documents.

Like I said earlier, good job, Democrats!


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Mark Kindt » Fri Nov 15, 2019 5:56 pm

U.S. Census Data For Lakewood Confirms That New Luxury Apartments Will Be Unaffordable

US Census Bureau QuickFacts Lawood city, Ohio; United States 2.jpg
US Census Bureau QuickFacts Lawood city, Ohio; United States 2.jpg (256.77 KiB) Viewed 12482 times


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Mark Kindt » Fri Nov 15, 2019 6:01 pm

In The Table Below I Have Overestimated Monthly Rental Costs

New luxury apartment units in Lakewood are likely to be less affordable that I had previously estimated, if Lakewood median monthly rents are $739.

This is much worse than I thought!

Structural Exclusion of Seniors, Veterans, Union Members, Teachers and Average Families -- Apartments.jpg
Structural Exclusion of Seniors, Veterans, Union Members, Teachers and Average Families -- Apartments.jpg (205.7 KiB) Viewed 12480 times


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Mark Kindt » Sat Nov 16, 2019 10:48 am

Revised Table Includes U.S. Census Rent Data For Lakewood

As you can see from this updated table, Lakewood has made the public policy choice to use public assets, public funds, and public real estate to construct new luxury apartments at One Lakewood Place that are likely to be unaffordable to most residents.

I have yet to hear any explanation from anyone as to how this can be justified as a public policy choice for our community.

We debated the loss of Lakewood Hospital. Why can't we debate this?

Structural Exclusion of Seniors, Veterans, Union Members, Teachers and Average Families -- Apartments - Revised.jpg
Structural Exclusion of Seniors, Veterans, Union Members, Teachers and Average Families -- Apartments - Revised.jpg (242.6 KiB) Viewed 12416 times


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Mark Kindt » Fri Dec 06, 2019 9:52 am

Link to Tax Abatement Thread.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=25561

I posted a copy of the recent city council resolution (2019-08) that will expand tax abatement to all of Lakewood in an attempt to mitigate the impact of high-end development on resident with ordinary incomes.

This is a complex and dynamic topic, especially considering the likelihood of a school levy on the ballot in March 2020.

One effect of this proposal, if enacted by council, will be to provide another stream of public subsidy for One Lakewood Place, a project that is already heavily subsidized with public funds and public property.

It also seems clear to me that other developers that responded to the hospital property redevelopment RFP might have made different proposals than the selected developer had they known that tax abatement would ultimately benefit the selected developer.


Bridget Conant
Posts: 2894
Joined: Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:22 pm

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Bridget Conant » Fri Dec 06, 2019 11:02 am

It also seems clear to me that other developers that responded to the hospital property redevelopment RFP might have made different proposals than the selected developer had they known that tax abatement would ultimately benefit the selected developer.


Or GAVE them the land for $ 1.00


Stan Austin
Contributor
Posts: 2462
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 12:02 pm
Contact:

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Stan Austin » Fri Dec 06, 2019 12:27 pm

Or GAVE them the land for $ 1.00
that incidentally cost the City $7 million to clean up


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Mark Kindt » Tue Dec 17, 2019 10:48 am

City flushed $120,000,000 of New Investment

Now, instead of this, we have a hole in the ground.

Lakewood Metro Presentation 9.17.14_Redacted 12.jpg
Lakewood Metro Presentation 9.17.14_Redacted 12.jpg (134.95 KiB) Viewed 11238 times


Stan Austin
Contributor
Posts: 2462
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 12:02 pm
Contact:

Re: The Fork In The Road

Postby Stan Austin » Tue Dec 17, 2019 11:29 am

Metro Health has become my primary health provider. I am extremely impressed by the quality of its personnel and services. How much more convenient this proposal would have been for me and presumably thousands of other Lakewoodites.



Return to “Lakewood General Discussions”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 19 guests