The View From Ward 2

Council Meeting

At the Council Meeting held on June 15th there were several items on the agenda related to racial equity and our police department’s policies. Communications from Council related to the Lakewood Police Department’s policies were referred to the Public Safety Committee. The next Public Safety Committee is Monday, June 29th at 7:00 PM. I look forward to an open and productive discussion that involves everyone, especially our local safety forces and residents, and will provide an update about the meeting in my next column. If you are interested in some of the Lakewood Police Department’s Polices and specialized training please read this communication from Mayor Meghan George.

We also learned last week that Police Chief Tim Malley will be retiring on July 4th. He has dedicated 38 years to serving Lakewood, with 18 years as Chief of Police. Please join me in thanking Chief Malley for his service and wishing him an enjoyable retirement.

All members of Council pledged to take part in the YWCA’s 21 Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge.  As part of the challenge, participants are presented with daily activities, like a listening to a podcast or reading an article, on a given subject that covers an issue that is related to race, power, privilege, and leadership. If you would like to join us in participating the challenge, please visit www.ywcaofcleveland.org/21-day-racial-equity-challenge.

Marlowe Park Townhomes Planned Development

City Council approved a change in the Zoning Map that will allow townhomes to be built at the location of the former St. Clements School Building and Convent. The property has been vacant for 15 years and was in bad shape with a roof collapse and significant water intrusion. The developer, Liberty Development Company, attempted to repurpose the building, but it was too far gone to be converted into a habitable space.

We learned that in the 1950s, eight homes were demolished on Marlowe Ave. to create the parking lot that is North of the church. This project is going to create 12 housing units on Marlowe and 4 units on Madison. Liberty worked closely with the church and is creating new parking directly adjacent to the church, where there was none before.

Warren Madison Intersection Beautification     

You may have noticed some improvements to the Warren-Madison intersection over the past several weeks. The beautification project is part of a $50,000 investment made by Cuyahoga County, the City of Lakewood, and LakewoodAlive.

So far, we have seen the installation of two murals, the planting of 15 trees, and the installation of a new crosswalk! The Doughnut Pantry is the host of a 54-foot long mural designed by Lakewood artist Stephanie Crossen, who said that her mural was inspired by the sunsets that we all enjoy on the Solstice Steps. Fifth Third Bank hosts the other mural which was designed by local artist April Bleakney. She said that her design was inspired by an encounter she had with a deer while visiting Yosemite National Park.

Be on the lookout for more improvements in the coming weeks!

Black Lives Matters Unity Rally

Michelle and I attended the Black Lives Matter Unity Rally at Lakewood Park on June 13th. The Rally started with the playing of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech and was followed by many speakers that shared their experiences in encountering racism in their own lives and how to combat racism in our community. Thank you to the organizers for putting on an educational and inspiring event.

2020 Asphalt Pavement Resurfacing, Signing, & Pavement Marking Project

The streets included in the 2020 Asphalt Pavement Resurfacing, Signing, & Pavement Marking Project are: Athens, Bayes, Ridgewood, Daleview, Delaware, Forest Cliff, McKinley, Parkside, and Wagar. We will also see guardrail removal and replacement on Donald, French, Lakewood, and Victoria. Additionally, this project includes the much-anticipated Lake Ave. bicycle lanes along with citywide stop bar, crosswalk, and roadway epoxy striping. The $2,084,000 contract for this work was awarded to the Shelly Company Northeast because their bid was the most competitive.

If you are interested in subscribing to the newsletter please visit https://mailchi.mp/shachnerforlakewood/newsletter. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to e-mail me at Jason.Shachner@lakewoodoh.net or call me at (216) 714-2150.